Photo Essay: El Ñuro, Peru

Images from before the tragic waves that damaged the artisan fishing community in northern Peru.

On December 27, an abnormal swell, a freak wave, seemingly came out of nowhere and surprised the fishing community of El Ñuro, Peru. Several hundred artisan fishermen make their livelihood from fishing in this small community on the far northern coast of Peru, in the province of Piura. The pier, seen below, was mostly wiped out. Several dozen boats sank and more than 100 fishermen were trapped in damaged boats at sea and had to be rescued, though miraculous no one was killed. Another 2000 fishermen were affected elsewhere in Piura and the neighboring Tumbes province by this wave and by a second that occurred on January 10. There is still no official explanation in how or why this unusual wave occurred.

The following is a photo essay, with shots taken by me one day in 2012, of the fishing community of El Ñuro.