Paracas National Reserve, Peru

January 27, 2015

A075

Photographer: Eduardo Martin Julia
Summary Authors: Eduardo Martin Julia; Jim Foster

The photo above shows a scenic shore of the Paracas National Reserve in Peru. Waves from the Pacific Ocean pound the coastline, slowly eroding the towering cliffs, some standing more than 100 ft (30 m) above the sea. The reddish color of some of the beaches here is derived from pink granodiorite that's eroded out of the cliffs. The heavier grained, granodioritic sand isn't as prone to washing away as is the finer grained, light colored sand. Paracas National Reserve not only acts as a sanctuary for wildlife but also protects prehistoric sites of the Paracas culture. Photo taken on May 10, 2009.

Photo details: Camera Model: KODAK EASYSHARE M380 DIGITAL CAMERA; Focal Length: 6.3mm (35mm equivalent: 38mm); Aperture: ƒ/5.6; Exposure Time: 0.0016 s (1/640); ISO equiv: 100; Exposure Bias: none; Software: Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows).