- Address: Punta Arenas, about. Magdalena, Chile;
- Height above sea level: 27 m;
- Area: 1 square kilometer.
The island of Magdalena is located in the Strait of Magellan , in the south of Chile . Since 1966 the island has become a protected area and has become a natural monument. Since then, Magdalena is a national park, with the main inhabitants of the penguins, cormorants and seagulls. The reserve attracts tourists by the fact that it is possible to walk freely around it among thousands of nesting pairs of Magellanic penguins that treat guests as their own.
General information
When in 1520 Magellan opened the strait, he drew attention to the island only as a dangerous obstacle for seafarers, as he mentioned in his famous book "The First Trip Across the Globe". But later, everyone who found himself on the island, admired his amazing fauna. On a small stretch of land inhabited by rare colonies of penguins, which later began to be called "Magellanic". To date, there are more than 60,000 pairs.
In August 1966, the Island of Magdalena was recognized as a National Park. Since then, not only travelers and sailors could get on it, but also want to admire the amazing show created by nature. True, in the sixties this pleasure could not afford all.
In 1982, the island received the status of a natural monument and the Chilean authorities began to pay much more attention to it. Many experts observed penguins, cormorants, gulls and other monasteries of the reserve. According to recent estimates, the Magellanic penguins constitute 95% of the bird-fauna of the island, which is an undeniable feature of the island.
Where is the island?
The island of Magdalena is located 32 kilometers to the north-east of the regional center of Punta Arenas . You can reach it by sea from Punta Arenas. Boats and yachts run from the port, which can be rented together with a guide. The island is absolutely uninhabited, therefore from people there you can see only the same tourists.