The whale was the first to be discovered in 1927. Maria Reiche, a German astronomer and mathematician, devoted her life to studying the lines and concluded the collection represented a calendar. Other theories proposed include an alien landing strip, a ceremonial centre, a cult worship to water/fertility and a giant running track.
The creation of the lines was done by removing the dark sun baked rocks on either side of the lines to expose the lighter gypsum soil beneath. The Nazca Lines were declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994.
The spider is identified a symbol of fertility and rain. It is also identified with soothsayers who used the creatures to predict future.
The hummingbird is the best know geoglyp and appears on many ceramics of the Nazca culture (as well as many souvenir items today). It measures 96 x 66m. The hummingbird were thought to be messengers between the heavens and this world. 
The tree and druid with extended hands are one of a few figures visible from a viewing platform (middle bottom of the picture) off the Panamerican Highway (not the truck on the road for idea of the scale of these drawings). The Nazca are believed to have made the lines in their worship of Kon, a flying god of water. This would explain why the collection of lines were designed to be seen from above. I did not puke on the flight which was a most pleasant surprise. As our pilot banked left and right to allow passengers on both sides of the planes to view the lines, there was only one casualty at the end of the 35 minute flight. We were returned safely to the earth and left to ponder the meaning of the Nazca lines, one of the world's great archaeological mysteries.
