Monumento Natural Los Pingüinos

Patagonia is one of the few places in the world to see wild penguins. The most accessible option on my route is Isla Magdalena, 35km from Punta Arenas. It is home to hundreds of Magellan penguins (in addition to many many seagulls). We're lucky and see also Sei whales (a pretty rare species) and sea lions.
Despite having to fight strong wind gusts, it is great watching those the penguins wobble around. Especially their social behavior is really interesting. They are very territorial and (mostly) monogamous. When they feel like their territory is threatened, they make a noise that reminds of a donkey. For communicating with each other they use different sounds. Teenage penguins (up to 3-5 years of age), are nomads. Once sexually mature, they mate at the location of their first encounter, where they meet their "spouse" once a year for the purpose of procreating and raising their babies. In between they spend about six months apart.Read more