On assignment for Photographers Without Borders, Feb 2022

The northern coast of Peru has a long, proud heritage of life with the sea. Just outside of Trujillo one can explore Chan Chan, the largest adobe city in the world. The mud walls, six hundred years old, are adorned with reliefs of fish, waves, pelicans, and sea otters. And in Huanchaco, modern fishermen still utilize reed fishing boats called caballitos de totora, a design that has not changed for 3,500 years, and are the oldest known craft used for “surfing”. Life with the sea was important then and is today.

While Huanchaco’s fishermen still ride their caballitos every morning, fishing is no longer the economic driver of the region. It’s tourism. Huanchaco’s beaches are a popular summer destination for Peruvians, particularly those from Trujillo, Peru’s third-largest city. Huanchaco is also world-renowned for its surfing, and the longest left-hand break in the world is just a few miles north. Huanchaco was designated as Latin America’s first World Surfing Reserve in 2013.

Tourism, and the money that tourists bring, are very important to the local government that benefits from this tourism. But step just outside of Huanchaco’s developed tourist areas and you’ll find several communities that receive little to no acknowledgment from the government at all, that can’t even get running water and only received electricity just a few years ago.

For an area with such strong, ancient ties to life with the ocean, children in these communities do not have any opportunities for water safety or swimming classes. The World Health Organization (WHO) released a report in 2019 citing drowning as the third-leading cause of unintentional injury death in the world. Children aged 1-14 years from low-income areas, particularly in the Pacific, make up the majority of these statistics. Latest numbers released by the WHO report 1,178 drownings in Peru in 2018.

Swim Tayka, a UK-registered nonprofit, has been filling this gap where the government is not. Swim Tayka operates volunteer-based swim classes for these communities during the summer break, from the beginning of January to the end of February. These morning classes consist of roughly 60 children and 8-10 volunteer instructors.

These children learn more than just swimming skills in their classes. While half of the group is in the pool learning swimming skills, the other half is in a group discussion setting. The facilitator leads discussions that are critical not just to youth development but also to Huanchaco’s future. In addition to water safety topics, the children learn about what happens when garbage is left on the beach instead of being put in the bins and the resources consumed for each light bulb that is needlessly left on.

Swim and water safety lessons will become more and more important as weather patterns continue to change. Three-quarters of all flood deaths are from drowning, and Huanchaco has seen some of the worst floodings in history in recent years due to intensified El Niño events. Luis, a ten-year-old swim student in his second month of lessons, says that these lessons aren’t just important because he wants to learn how to surf, but because they could also save his life one day.

And that’s why Eduardo, one of the local instructors, volunteers to teach. “The lessons don’t just give them access to water, their heritage. They give them the gift of being able to save someone else’s life too.” Eduardo notes that the goal is not to make them competitive swimmers - though a few of their students are on that path. The goal is to give them the confidence and skills to safely be around water. His approach is to first get them comfortable in the pool. The students utilize kickboards and noodles to learn kicking and breathing skills. Then they bring it all together by swimming laps unassisted. Eduardo’s favorite part of teaching these lessons is seeing the dramatic progress they make in such a short period of time.

Huanchaco and its residents face many challenges. In the past few decades its beaches that tourists flock to have receded 30 meters. The wetlands that provide the materials for the caballitos, Huanchaco’s identity for thousands of years, are disappearing due to coastal erosion, development, and pollution. It will be up to Huanchaco’s youth to ensure that this heritage and the living it provides will not end here. Ensuring that they have the skills to safely live near water, and the capacity to care for it, is critical towards this goal.

Otra Cosa Network Peru

On assignment for Photographers Without Borders in the community of Huanchaco, Peru.

Views of Huanchaco from the church overlooking town. The church, named after the patron saint of the fishermen, is also visible by the fishermen while they are out earning their living.
Huanchaco's consistent, frequent breaks were just one of many reasons it was designated as Latin America's first World Surfing Reserve in 2013. The longest left-hand break in the world is just a few kilometers north.

Huanchaco's sign framed by the caballitos that draw many tourists to the city, and are a source of cultural pride to the people. The caballitos are endangered by many modern-day issues.
Taking a stop for refreshments and surfing in the small fishing village at El Brujo.

Huanchaco's economy is based mostly around tourism, surviving on the throngs of visitors that visit its beaches. In recent decades, approximately 30 meters of beach have been covered with water from rising sea levels.
It may look like winter, but this is the middle of summer in Huanchaco. El Niño and La Niña weather patterns have become more amplified in recent years, leading to significant weather changes.

Huanchaco has roughly 50 fishermen in the Association of Artisanal Fishermen. The caballitos that provide the backdrop of Huanchaco's beaches are used by each one of them, but not all fishermen go out every day. Each fisherman also has two caballitos to give them time to dry between outings. As a means of supplementing income due to dwindling fisheries, some fishermen charge tourists for rides on the traditional craft.
Garbage is a common sight on Peru's beaches. In some cases it's from illegal landfills near the beach, and storm surges pick up the garbage and deposit it northward with the currents. But in most cases it's left here on a daily basis by visitors to these beaches. The local stewardship council is constantly working with the government to increase the number of garbage receptacles and public awareness. The real change is going to happen with a mindset shift with the local youth, and that's what organizations like Swim Tayka and Otra Cosa Network are attempting to do. By demonstrating to the children how this careless disposal of garbage affects every aspect of their lives, like their economy and safe food & water, they can facilitate this change. Unfortunately this change will not happen overnight, and it will take at least one generation to see significant progress.

It may look like winter, but this is the middle of summer in Huanchaco. El Niño and La Niña weather patterns have become more amplified in recent years, leading to significant weather changes.
Only a small portion of the ancient city of Chan Chan is being actively preserved, and in some cases, restored. The Nik An complex contains highly detailed adobe walls featuring carvings of sea otters, pelicans, waves, and fish.
Every morning in Huanchaco before the sun rises - when the waves aren't too rough - members of its Association of Artisanal Fishermen gather to head out as a group. Their ancestors have been doing this for thousands of years. But this may be the last generation that does so. Their children just aren't interested in fishing anymore, as it does not provide the kind of living demanded by modern times. These fishermen don't earn a living from it either, but do so because they enjoy it and it's their heritage. Some offer rides to tourists on their caballitos. But their children and grandchildren are all busy with other jobs and have pursued other options elsewhere. Fishing here has also become more difficult due to offshore commercial fishing and changing ocean currents.

Every morning in Huanchaco before the sun rises - when the waves aren't too rough - members of its Association of Artisanal Fishermen gather to head out as a group. Their ancestors have been doing this for thousands of years. But this may be the last generation that does so. Their children just aren't interested in fishing anymore, as it does not provide the kind of living demanded by modern times. These fishermen don't earn a living from it either, but do so because they enjoy it and it's their heritage. Some offer rides to tourists on their caballitos. But their children and grandchildren are all busy with other jobs and have pursued other options elsewhere. Fishing here has also become more difficult due to offshore commercial fishing and changing ocean currents.
Fishermen take to the sea early in the morning to see what they can catch. The mix of fish they come back with don't have much value in larger markets. They're usually sold to people on the beach when they return, in smaller local markets, or kept for their families. Because it can't earn a living, many of their children and grandchildren are not following suit, in favor of better jobs.

While the methods haven't changed much, the materials have. Fishermen use nylon nets to catch fish, a mix of species that don't have much value in larger markets. The fishermen's catch is typically sold to people on the beach when they return later in the morning, in small local markets, or kept for their families.
While the methods haven't changed much, the materials have. Fishermen use nylon nets to catch fish, a mix of species that don't have much value in larger markets. The fishermen's catch is typically sold to people on the beach when they return later in the morning, in small local markets, or kept for their families.

While the methods haven't changed much, the materials have. Fishermen use nylon nets to catch fish, a mix of species that don't have much value in larger markets. The fishermen's catch is typically sold to people on the beach when they return later in the morning, in small local markets, or kept for their families.
While the methods haven't changed much, the materials have. Fishermen use nylon nets to catch fish, a mix of species that don't have much value in larger markets. The fishermen's catch is typically sold to people on the beach when they return later in the morning, in small local markets, or kept for their families.

Surfers with modern surfboards waiting for some waves as a fisherman on a caballito, Huanchaco's first surf craft, takes a tourist for a short ride. Traditional fishing is extremely difficult today due to environmental changes and commercial fishing, so some fishermen supplement their income by taking tourists out on their caballitos.
Each fisherman has two caballitos so that they might have time to dry between outings. The fishermen still use bamboo paddles just as their ancestors have used for thousands of years.

In addition to fishermen who take their caballitos out to sea, some fishermen also snorkel in the shallow areas off the beach collecting shellfish.
Protected totorales north of Huanchaco. These totorales are small restored wetlands currently in conservation. This is where the totoras grow, which are used to make the caballitos, the small boats used by fishermen for over 3,000 years and up to present day. Despite being protected by law, they are still in danger from beach erosion, development, pollution, and vandalism.

As beach erosion continued to threaten the totora ponds near the ocean, new totora ponds were created slightly further inland. The totoras are very sensitive to changes in water chemistry and can't grow if seawater invades the ponds. The land that they are on is worth millions to developers. While the ponds do not belong to the fishermen, fishermen are allowed to harvest the reeds to make their caballito fishing craft. Each pond supplies enough reeds to make just five caballitos, each caballito lasting a few weeks before it's too waterlogged to continue using. The reeds take roughly one year to grow to a height of 4 meters. Once the totoras reach adequate height, they are cut and placed next to the ponds to dry, which takes 2-3 weeks in summer months. The drying totoras are at risk of vandalism during this drying period.
As beach erosion continued to threaten the totora ponds near the ocean, new totora ponds were created slightly further inland. The totoras are very sensitive to changes in water chemistry and can't grow if seawater invades the ponds. The land that they are on is worth millions to developers. While the ponds do not belong to the fishermen, fishermen are allowed to harvest the reeds to make their caballito fishing craft. Each pond supplies enough reeds to make just five caballitos, each caballito lasting a few weeks before it's too waterlogged to continue using. The reeds take roughly one year to grow to a height of 4 meters. Once the totoras reach adequate height, they are cut and placed next to the ponds to dry, which takes 2-3 weeks in summer months. The drying totoras are at risk of vandalism during this drying period.
As beach erosion continued to threaten the totora ponds near the ocean, new totora ponds were created slightly further inland. The totoras are very sensitive to changes in water chemistry and can't grow if seawater invades the ponds. The land that they are on is worth millions to developers. While the ponds do not belong to the fishermen, fishermen are allowed to harvest the reeds to make their caballito fishing craft. Each pond supplies enough reeds to make just five caballitos, each caballito lasting a few weeks before it's too waterlogged to continue using. The reeds take roughly one year to grow to a height of 4 meters. Once the totoras reach adequate height, they are cut and placed next to the ponds to dry, which takes 2-3 weeks in summer months. The drying totoras are at risk of vandalism during this drying period.