ISLA MAGDALENA MAGELLAN PENGUINS COLONY

SouthAmerica June 12, 2017November 25, 2019 chile, Isla Magdalena, Magellan Penguins Colony, Magellanic Penguins, Melinka tour boat, Punta Arenas, southamerica, southamericatotheworld, southamericatotheworld.com

Magdalena Island Penguin´s Colony

https://www.southamericatotheworld.com/ — Magellan penguin colony

The largest Magellanic Penguin Colony in South America is at the Isla Magdalena in southernmost Chile. The Pinguinera Isla Magdalena lies on a small island in the middle of the Strait of Magellan. To visit the island while in Chile tour boats leave from the city of Punta Arenas, making a 35 km trip north by boat. Tickets are sold from December to February; we bought our tickets at Comapa Tourism Company, but there are other companies offering similar tours such as Solo Expeditions. The ticket price was $40,000 Chilean Pesos for adults and $20,000 Chilean Pesos for kids, for more accurate prices check their web page here.

The five-hour tour on the Melinka ferry boat takes about two hours to get to the island, one hour on the island to walk among the penguins, and the return trip of another two hours. The time on the island is indeed a marvelous experience; these creatures would make anyone smile. One can appreciate the way penguins live, and the way they nest in burrows.

The Magellanic penguins are native to South America. They are the largest of the warm weather penguins, taking in consideration the different size of the different species these penguins are medium height. The tallest are the Emperor Penguin and the smallest are the Penguin Azul or enano (dwarf). Most of them have the same characteristics with white chest and black back, small wings, short feet, and a short tale. The main distinctive characteristic feature to distinguish the Magellanic penguin from the others is the black stripe that crosses their chest.

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Most of the penguins mate and reproduce during spring and summer season in the southern hemisphere except the Emperor Penguin. Nesting season begins in September, so by the month of October, they are laying eggs. For approximately 40 days, males and females take turns incubating their eggs and foraging for food until the eggs hatch. Afterwards they do the same routine taking care of the chicks for approximately 30 days more. They communicate among themselves with several sounds. The one that called our attention the most while there was the desperate sound they make demanding food and flipping their wings at the same time that would make any mom desperate to forage food for the babies. While the chicks are little only one parent will go to gather some food for the baby, but if they are older both parents will go and all the chicks will remain together in a group.

Penguins feed of smaller fish, calamari and krill. They look a bit clumsy while walking, but they are fast in the water. They can make arcing jumps above the water while swimming. They do this to breath and also if they are being chased by a predator they jump.

Breeding pairs mate for life and usually they come back to the same burrow every year. They populated this island because it is far from predators; they share the island with seagulls and cormorants. The island is covered with white guano and penguin burrows. It is estimated that there are 60,000 couples of penguins in the colony. The magellanic penguins cover an area extended from the coast of Chile, up the Brazilian coast, and around the Cabo de Hornos (Cape Horn).

While visiting Isla Magdalena people can also visit the lighthouse where one can learn more about the Magellan Strait history and more about the island.

The island has very well marked paths where people are allowed to walk, but sometimes you just have to wait your turn because the penguins here are given the right away. Owen´s observation was that there is always a last penguin in the group. It is true, there always seemed to be a last one trying to catch up with the group. They were so fun to watch while walking in their fancy suits, but once in the water they are super-fast. The baby penguins were so cute and puffy looking. We loved the penguins!

The Magdalena Island and Marta Island comprise what is known as the “Monumento Natural Los Pinguinos” or Penguins Natural Monument located in the XII Chilen Region known as La Region Magallanes y Antartica Chilena with its capital Punta Arenas. This monument was created in August 22^nd 1966 in order to protect the Magellanic penguin and the imperial shag. Isla Marta has a colony of sea lions.

For more information visit CONAF.CL Corporacion Nacional Forestal del gobierno de Chile.