* My name is Camille, I am from England originally but currently live in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I am working with EcoSwell for 6 weeks as part of a University placement in an NGO and completing research. On Saturday the 9th of February, we set off from the Pier at 7 am on a cloudy Saturday morning. Our group was made up of India, Elliot, Ezra and me. We climbed onto Tulio’s fishing boat ‘El señor es mi pastor’ and sailed for about 30 minutes North West up the coast of Lobitos, past the old and largely disused oil rigs. The rigs are dotted sporadically across the horizon, having played a huge part in the history of Lobitos until the end of the 1960s, when the British were expelled from the town and the oil industry was nationalised.
Once we had reached our fishing spot, the anchor was dropped and we took up our positions with a line, hook and some fish for bait. India was first to get a bite, catching a ‘Peje’. She also caught a small fish, not yet ready to be taken. Tulio informed us it was his father’s tradition to cut off a small section of the fish’s fin before throwing it back into the sea, so if they catch the same fish again, they would know it had been caught it before. We spent the next hour and a half happily catching fish, rocks and pieces of coral (which were returned to the sea). We also saw several Sea Lions around the boat. It was very relaxing and a unique experience, Elliot and I discussing the difference of our experience of living in Lobitos for a University placement compared to working with an NGO back in the UK.
Unfortunately for Ezra, he succumbed to the waves and rocking of the small boat at this point, with Tulio remarking “there’s always one!”. It even began to rain at this point, which may have been the first time in over three weeks where I felt almost cold!
The next part of the trip was what we had all been waiting for, our freshly caught fish prepared and into the freshest Ceviche we had ever experienced. Ceviche, considered the national dish of Peru, is fresh fish, cured using the citric acid of limes with onions, garlic and chifles (fried plantains). The Ceviche was fantastic and certainly a highlight of my time here in Peru. We spent the final hour sitting and chatting, enjoying the Ceviche before we made our way back to the pier. On our way back we took a closer look at one of the oil rigs, Tulio telling us about how the Sea Lions make their way onto the rig, jumping up onto the first set of stairs and making their way onto the platforms.
We were soon back at the Pier, having been out for around 4 hours. Awe arrived back, so were many of the other fishing boats who had been out since 4:30am that morning. One of the older fishermen prepared the rest of our fish for us, so we were able to cook and eat it within the next day or so. The fishing trip was a great experience, refreshing and relaxing coupled with some great food!
@EcoSwell is a for-impact, sustainable development organization based in Lobitos, Peru. Since 2014, we have been working everyday to help coastal communities thrive in unison with nature. If you would like to learn more, please visit our Facebook, website, and follow us on SteemIt!