Nick Ballon Navy Gallery/ Sara Urbaez / May 10, 2018 11:54 AM
Nick Ballon01Navy recruits stand in formation as they practice international maritime signals with flags after a parade celebrating the Tiquina Naval Base's 48th anniversary. The base sits on the banks of Lake Titicaca.
Nick Ballon02Lake Titicaca is a 3,200-square-mile body of water that straddles Bolivia's western border with Peru. It's the biggest lake in South America by water volume. The Strait of Tiquina, pictured here, connects the lower and upper portions of the lake.
Nick Ballon03Clouds billow above Lake Titicaca. It's the highest navigable lake in the world, sitting more than two miles above sea level.
Nick Ballon04Female scuba diving students practice floating during their first week of swim class. They first practice in the navy base's unheated swimming pool before moving on to the lake.
Nick Ballon05Lake Titicaca gets nippy—its average water temperature is only 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nick Ballon06Female scuba diving students don caps and black swim suits during their first week of swimming lessons at the navy base’s pool. Some are swimming for the first time.
Nick Ballon07A group of female scuba diving students participate in a morning jog, singing as they go.
Nick Ballon08A trainer leads the group on a morning run. Each day begins with intense physical exercises.
Nick Ballon09Female recruits climb obstacles during grueling physical training that emphasizes teamwork.
Nick Ballon10A diving squad emerges from the lake during combat practice. One of the trainer's dogs stands by.
Nick Ballon11Maria Isabel Mansilla, the only female scuba diving instructor at the Tiquina Navy Base, stands before a monument that promises a return to the Pacific. She is wearing her combat uniform ahead of practice, and her dog lies at her side.
Nick Ballon12Diving students in their second week of training line up to practice their jumping into Lake Titicaca's frigid waters.
Nick Ballon13A rope anchors a boat. The navy's fleet includes speedboats, tankers, and other vessels.
Nick Ballon14A Bolivian Navy boat undergoes repairs beside a medical boat purchased secondhand from the Chinese Navy.
