Between the desert and the Pacific Ocean - Fishers who risk their lives | DW Documentary

My name is Juan Loo Guimet. I am 33 years old and I live in Huarmey, Peru. My friends call me Purunga. I am a shellfish collector. I love the

desert

. It's such a calm environment. That helps me start the day well. My soul is always at peace. Between the

desert

and our Pacific Ocean, at the midpoint, what we experience on our descent is 100% pure adrenaline. It really is a great emotion to feel the ropes in your hands while you descend with all this equipment, without fear and without looking down, to reach your destination. To get off the cliff, your mind has to be calm, relaxed and free of worries.

When it's time to go down, we leave our problems upstairs, along with our street shoes and our motorcycles. You have to go down with a free and relaxed mind, because if you go down with all that tension and all those problems, from your village life, you won't be able to concentrate as you should. That has happened several times, not only to me, but to all my colleagues, I think. With so much going on, it can be difficult to work well. It's

risk

y if you bring your problems with you. There is danger everywhere. What do I think about going down?

I only think about doing things well, about arranging the strings well. If I need to place an iron pick, I make sure to place it correctly. You need to know the correct way to tie a knot. Or stab an iron spike. The important thing is to always do it correctly. It's a bit like... It's like a habit. It is a task that has become routine over the years. You lower your poles. Or sometimes you lower your backpack. On some cliffs, you just throw out the ropes and start going down. It's a matter of habit. When a cyclist gets on his bike, he doesn't really think about it.

And we tie our ropes and are ready to go. We don't worry about anything, because we are confident in what we do. There is a 100 meter drop below you, so on cliffs in general you can't be afraid of heights. We know what we are doing. There is no place for fear. We have strategic points on the descent, where we place our ropes that allow us to continue the descent, and those iron spikes are there permanently. That said, we always check the condition of the tines. And sometimes they may look fine on first inspection, but in reality they have been corroded by salt from sea spray and all that remains is an iron shell.

Inside there is a thread, nothing more. That's what happened. When I was working with Diego on the Palo Cruzado cliff, we were going down the south face, where the

ocean

was very rough. So I suggested climbing through the crack, but the cliff face sloped outwards on the way, so I had to push myself back to lift my body. I continued to climb, but when I pushed myself out, the iron spike broke. The pick broke and I was left with the rope in my hands. I was about to fall on the rocks, but I reacted by pushing off with my feet to propel myself into the water.

Sometimes there is nothing you can do. The cliffs are totally unforgiving. You can't afford to make mistakes. But at the same time they are like our second home. Not only for me, but for all of us who work here. We can find what we are looking for everywhere here. If someone comes here thinking “I'm going to look for shellfish today,” they can simply go down to a cliff, where there are a lot of shellfish and few chitons. If you want sea snails, you will go to a certain place. We can get whatever you need here. Whatever we need.

But not many people dare to go down the cliffs. You have to be calm by nature and totally focused. The cliffs are the gateway to a world of abundance. Grandaso is a good friend. He is a coworker I have known for years. I always liked working alone, but we have been working together for a while now. It's good company. I've had a few accidents, so now I prefer to be accompanied, on the most challenging cliffs. When people approach a cliff or slope, they stop immediately. They can't even bend over to look down. They feel dizzy and are afraid of falling.

But we continue straight down. The cliff is not an obstacle for us, because we know the path and we know where to put our feet, where to rest and where to walk. We are not always tied to a rope, with nothing beneath us. You always have time to rest and walk before reaching the end. Here, when we go down, everyone thinks we are looking for a treasure or something valuable. But what is most valuable to us are the seafood we harvest. That is like gold for us, because it is our food and also our work. That is our treasure.

That's why we go there. When we are down there, we become one with the

ocean

. Each one goes to work where he believes it is best, in a specific place, depending on the location. I can go anywhere with my poles. They make it easier to get to places, so I can get shellfish off the rocks. These poles are my hands. They are an extension of my hands. I do not know what I would be without them. On days like this, when the sea is very rough, when it is too rough, it is like the sea's way of saying “stay out.” For people who collect shellfish, with metal blades, with iron, these waters are dangerous.

The Poles do the work for me. They are very important. I couldn't do what I do without them. When I have the net rigged and my sword on the pole, I simply sit on the edge of the wall and start fishing. But I am always alert to the huge waves that may arrive. A misstep while running or even incorrect posture can also be

risk

y, but fortunately, the poles do all the work for me. The Pacific Ocean is full of life. Coming here is a real pleasure for me and not only to fish, but to enjoy everything that is around me, the birds and the biodiversity that surrounds me.

I make the most of it and enjoy what I do, every day, I really enjoy and love what I do, not just harvesting seafood, but interacting with my environment. Harvesting shellfish with poles is an art. It's like you get used to doing what you like to do. All day I harvest seafood with my reeds. That's all I do, low tide or high tide, whether the water is calm or rough. It's an art, but it's not for everyone. Some people try it, but they get tired quickly, because it takes strong arms and a lot of dexterity and precision to be able to get those seafood.

If you go for one and poke it with your spike, but you can't get it off the rock, then you just have to leave it, because when a mollusk is on the rock and it feels something touching it, then it tenses up. up and clings to the rock tighter. If you try to pick it up again, the shell will come off, but the meat of the mollusk will remain stuck to the rock. Better to leave it. You'll get it another time, that's all. You are never alone on the cliffs. You are often with the sea lions that live here.

They are a bit like our friends. They are always there, at the foot of the cliffs. They lead a good life here, due to the amount of food they find. This is one of the largest populations in South America. In terms of our precision, where the pole touches the rock, there is a shellfish. As for chitons, it is difficult to get them out of the rock. When you touch them, they stick to the rock. Limpets also cling to rock. But after a while, if you tap them two or three times, they will come out. Sea snails are also tough.

With the sea snails you will find them all grouped together, like grapes, so you will have to grab the first one quickly and be quick with the rest, because if you take too long the other sea snails will jump out one by one. They will sense your presence and jump into the water. Sometimes there is nothing. Like today for Grandaso. That's because the water is very rough. When the water is rough, it's a bit like trawling for us. They like to fish for silversides, but silversides cannot be caught all year round. There is a clearly defined season and no-fishing period, during which the State imposes restrictions to allow fish to grow and reproduce.

There is no time when what we do is prohibited, but if the sea were always accommodating there would be no seafood left. When the sea is rough, that is our forbidden period. It is as if the sea said, up to this point, but no further. Be patient, so that the shellfish grow, so that they all grow, the sea snails, the shellfish, the sole, everything. The sea allows us to work with poles and when we talk about poles we have to think of José Mallqui, who is known as El Zorro. He was one of the pioneers of the post technique.

He is the father of cliffs. He taught us the basics of what we do. Especially me. How to use the pole skillfully. The world around us is hostile and not only towards humans. When you see the sea lions, especially the large males that live below, there is a lot of rivalry between them to protect

their

harem. The goal is always the same: mate and procreate. When the shellfish harvest has been good, I always take the time to go fishing where I know is a good spot. Not many fishermen come here. Boats do not go near the cliffs, because it is very dangerous for them.

One two three four. That's good for fishing. There are good places where you can catch good fish. But when the tide changes, it takes the fish with it and sometimes there aren't many of them. You have to pay close attention. But I love fishing. You never know what you'll catch. You can find everything around these cliffs. Not only seafood, but also a wide variety of fish. First we shell the bait, which is mostly small crabs. One of the qualities you need to fish is patience. Sometimes you can move from one bay to another, but still you don't find any fish.

But with patience and intuition, we did it in the end. I have known Cenizo for quite some time. I trust him because he has the skills and dexterity to maneuver the boat near the cliffs and in these places. There are places that are too dangerous to enter. We have to find another way to enter. In those situations I call my friend Cenizo. He has a boat and he takes me to those places, which makes it easier for me to get there. I know that if anything ever happens to me, he will be there to help me.

If I can't get up or it's too difficult to get to the place, I know he will be there. I can go back to the boat and try again. We use a tire tube as a float to transport the equipment we need to work on the cliffs. That means I don't have to get tired swimming back and forth. Sometimes when we head to the cliffs we talk about different things. I'm usually at the front of the boat and he's in the back, talking to me. Many times, because of the noise of the engine and the wind, he talks and I just say, yes, yes.

Oh yeah, but I didn't really understand a word he was telling me. The sea is full of dangers, one of which is sea lions. Something happened to a friend of mine. He jumped into the sea and was bitten on the thigh by one of those big animals, a sea lion. His jaws are really powerful. It's not like a dog bite. He is much more powerful. My friend went to the hospital and had to have surgery. That's why we take so many precautions, to make sure everything goes well. After a long boat ride, we finally arrived at the place where we are going to work.

Once in the water, we will have to judge the waves carefully and catch one that will take us to the rocks. Then we must get to the place where we will be working. As I begin my day at sea, I remember the words of those who have worked at sea for years. You don't have to be afraid of the sea, but you do have to respect it. One of the things I always tell my colleagues is that we can't just look for seafood. We must also watch the sea. That's why we have two eyes. You have one eye for the sea and another for mollusks.

I could have chosen a more relaxing and less risky occupation. But this is what I like to do. I am happy here, surrounded by nature and the life that is in it. The sea is impressive. With each wave that breaks, you learn to judge the best time to get out of the danger zone and the best time to go in for shellfish. Seabirds are one of the really amazing things about the cliffs. Gannets nest on cliffs, on the ledges of the cliff face. You would never think they could survive here, but there they are. The seafood we find here in Huarmey is not found anywhere else.

People who enjoy flavors often tell us that the flavor is unique. That is why Huarmey seafood is sent to other regions, where it is served in restaurants. The same goes for fish. Our fish has a different flavor than fish from other regions. Everything is sent to the markets and snack shops. Every day we return to the city. We don't sleep here. That's another part of the day. When I started working in these areas, my father already knew them. He knew these places were here. But my mother and my sisters don't know the cliffs. You have no idea what it's like here.

But I think that if they came to see the cliffs, they would tie me up to prevent me from working here again, for fear that one day I would not return home, because of the serious risks we run. exposed on the cliffs. The accident occurred at 10:00 in the morning. As I fell, I spread my arms and one arm hit the edge of the rock wall. That split the bone in half, leaving an open fracture. That tore my clothes, including my wetsuit. This is the exact place where Diego died.I was climbing without having rested. He was returning from another cliff and was exhausted.

I wanted to climb the entire wall and my arms gave way. At a certain moment you feel warmth in your arms. You want to keep going up, but you can't achieve it. You are torn between the desire to move forward and staying still. Your hands can no longer hold the rope. I thought I can't do it. I don't have any strength. I thought it was all over. I saw my life flash before my eyes, in a split second. One day I received a phone call and suddenly found out that Diego Diego was no longer there. The sea had taken him away.

They never found his body. That was a big shock. And that's why now I prefer to go down the cliffs with another person, with company him. It's safer. I used to like to play sports, but I can't anymore. I can jog a little and that's it. I think I'll be able to run again, eventually. I will recover little by little. I spent 6 months in Lima in rehabilitation, in physical therapy, working on it every day, taking medication, to help me recover faster. The people again said: Purunga is dead. He fell off the cliffs. It's terrible, but that's the life of the people who work on the cliffs.

Life is not easy. Every day is a challenge. We don't know if we'll make it home at night. But it's the life we ​​want to live. It's the life we ​​love. Some of our friends are gone, but we return to them every day. They are with us on the cliffs and every day they remind us to be careful. Nature is powerful and you can't fight it. We get on the motorcycles and return to the town, leaving the cliffs behind and thanking God that we are returning home safe and sound. Now we just need to deliver the treasure we took from the cliffs.

We return happy, happy to have found so much here. And we are even happier to return home to see our families. The seafood is displayed on the tables and sold by the dozens. There are also women who prepare seafood on site, chitons and sea snails, for example, so that people can enjoy them here. And every day we start again.