Humpback Whales
of the Magellan Straits

Humpback Whale © Claudio F. Vidal, Far South Expeditions

Humpback Whales of the Magellan Straits

Patagonia Humpback Whales Trips | Encounters with the Gentle Giants of Patagonia

Start of 2024/25 Season: Mid-December 2024

3-day trip from Punta Arenas, Chile

Join one of our Patagonia Humpback Whales Trips. Small-group, whale-watching and photo expedition to southern Chile’s Straits of Magellan.

Enjoy close encounters with these gentle giants amid the magnificent scenery of the pristine archipelagic regions of western Tierra del Fuego, in the most remote corners of Patagonia.

During this expedition you will have the opportunity to see a large and interesting array of marine mammals and seabirds and stay two nights at an eco-camp and scientific field station at Carlos III Island.

Check out for more whale-watching trip opportunities in Patagonia.

Humpback Whale, Magellan Straits, Chile © Claudio F. Vidal, Far South Exp

Trip Highlights

• Dedicated whale-watching expedition to find, study and photograph Humpback Whales in the Straits of Magellan, southern Patagonia.

• Discover a rich array of seabirds and marine mammals including penguins, albatrosses, petrels as well as dolphins, sea lions and fur seals.

• The dramatic, unknown and pristine habitats of western Patagonia, seldom visited by tourists, which holds a remarkable wildlife, scenery and historic highlights.

• Interact with mammal scientists and learn about their long-term studies of this whale population.

• Good local food and nature lodges in the remote outskirts of the recently established Francisco Coloane Marine Park.

Itinerary in Brief

Day 1 • Meeting at Punta Arenas – Drive to Punta Carrera – Embark M/V Tanu – Boat ride towards Francisco Coloane Marine Park

Day 2 • Straits of Magellan: Carlos III Island & Seno Ballena (Whale Sound)

Day 3 • Straits of Magellan – Boat trip back to Punta Arenas

Breaching Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaengliae), Carlos III Island, Chile © Whale Sound

Magellanstrasse Francisco Coloane Meeresschutzgebiet

Trip Map

Humpback Whales, Magellan Straits, Chile © Susanne Widmer, Far South Exp

Detailed Itinerary and Activities

Patagonia Humpback Whales Trips. Humpback Whales of the Magellan Straits is a fascinating journey designed to discover some of the best-kept secrets of this imposing region of southern South America. This is a comprehensive natural history and nature photography journey to Carlos III Island, located at the heart of the recently established Francisco Coloane Marine Park in the mythic Straits of Magellan, to find some of its most charismatic and usually elusive inhabitants, Humpback Whales. These huge cetaceans come to the Straits of Magellan in the austral summer to feast on the abundant food resources found in these cold and productive waters, and can be seen actively feeding on small crustaceans and fish near the surface, mostly by lunging up from the deep into their swarms and engulfing huge amounts of water which is then sifted through their baleen plates, leaving their food inside the mouth cavity. We will see these grand creatures and other marine mammals of the sub-Antarctic region at close quarters, as well as a good diversity of seabirds. Also, we will visit remote penguin colonies as well as other seabirds’ rookeries. We will be based two nights at the domes of the research facilities at Carlos III Island, the perfect location to see the Humpbacks and marvel at their social behavior and feeding techniques.

Day 1 • Meeting at Punta Arenas – Drive to Punta Carrera – Embark M/V Tanu – Boat ride towards Francisco Coloane Marine Park

Let’s start our memorable whale-watching adventure! Your guide will pick you up at your hotel between 8-8.45am and will transfer you south towards Punta Carrera, our embarkation point located 30 miles south of Punta Arenas. (Please note that the exact time of departure is subject to the weather conditions and may differ several hours from the time mentioned above.) Here we will board our 50-ft vessel, Tanu, to start sailing along the scenic southern portion of the Brunswick Peninsula. The journey from Punta Carrera to Francisco Coloane Marine Park will take between 7 to 9 hours at an average speed of 7-8 knots. We will enjoy the dramatic scenery of the Magellan Straits and pass along several historic sites including Port Famine, Fort Bulnes, Mt Tarn, Cape Froward and Cordes Bay. This whole region was comprehensively explored during the 1820s and 30s by the British scientific expedition of the M/V Beagle and the Adventure. Captain Fitz Roy and his dedicated crew undertook comprehensive surveys throughout the Patagonian Fjords and Tierra del Fuego. A young naturalist named Charles Darwin conducted countless field trips here and described several species of flora and fauna. We will enjoy watching of a great array of seabirds including Black-browed Albatross, Southern Giant Petrel, Magellanic Diving-Petrel, King Cormorant, Chilean Skua, Dolphin Gull and South American Tern. We will also enjoy the constant company of pods of the playful Peale’s Dolphin. Carlos III Island and its surrounding waters is the core whale-watching area located in the western branch of the Magellan Straits, and once we reach this area by 6pm, we will have great chances of spotting our first Humpbacks. Other potential species include Sei Whales, more frequent in latter years as well as pods of the mighty Orca. After a full day of exploration, we will land at the island to spend two nights at the biological station and eco-camp, using the comfortable twin-bedded domes (with shared restroom facilities). Just before supper we will meet one of the researchers to know more about their long-term studies on population dynamics and the extensive photo identification catalog they have been compiling during more than 20 years of research.

Overnight at Eco-Camp Carlos III Island, Straits of Magellan (Lunch, Dinner)(Guide).

Day 2 • Straits of Magellan: Carlos III Island & Seno Ballena (Whale Sound)

This morning we will have a full-day of whale-watching activities aboard the Tanu. We will have the privilege of sharing with the resident scientists to learn, in the field, about these gentle whales ecology by watching them at close range and likely with no other visitors in the surroundings. This magnificent and productive area supports a vast and unique biological diversity, due to exceptional conditions such as the mixing of the two oceans (the Pacific and the Atlantic), the presence of productive upwellings, the strong westerly winds as well as the presence of glaciers and the dismembered coastline. This is why this marine park can hold a summer population of humpback whales which use these waters as feeding grounds. If we are lucky, we may see the endemic and scarce Chilean Dolphin while sailing these waters. Today’s great nature spectacle with this amazing wildlife will be enriched by visiting Santa Ines Island and we will be stunned by the beautiful mountains, glaciers and pristine forests that surround this protected area. Back to the ‘Camp’ to share with the scientists, the other guests and our dedicated staff for a memorable farewell dinner.

Overnight at Eco-Camp Carlos III Island, Straits of Magellan (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)(Guide).

Day 3 • Straits of Magellan – Boat trip back to Punta Arenas

After breakfast, we will make our journey back to Punta Carrera and then to Punta Arenas. On the way back we will investigate Rupert Island, we will also visit large breeding colonies of South American sea lions, Southern fur seals, Magellanic Penguin (c. 19,000 individuals) and Chilean Skua. Along the route we will have other opportunities to spot whales and other wildlife. We expect to arrive to Punta Carrera at around 5pm and then by van to Punta Arenas in order to be at our hotels around 7-8pm.

(Lunch)(Guide)

Dates & Rates

Dates & Rates 2024/25

Trip code	TDF03
Price per person (USD)	$1,680
Duration	3 days, 2 nights
November 2024	December 2024	January 2025	February 2025	March 2025	April 2025
28 - 30	15 - 17	7 - 9	11 - 13	7 - 9
	22 - 24	15 - 17	17 - 19	15 - 17
	25 - 27	28 - 30	20 - 22
	28 - 30
Please ask for additional dates. Available between late November and April.

Meet/Depart: Punta Arenas, Chile.

The above prices are per person in US$, based on double occupancy in comfortable dome-tents. Single supplement: $1,680.

What the trip price includes/excludes

The trip price includes: All accommodations, meals, drinks and local guide services as stated in the itinerary, private transfers to Carrera Bay, boat trips to Carlos III Island in search of whales and other wildlife, plus park entrance fees.

The trip price excludes: Tipping, travel insurance, and anything else of a purely personal nature.

Do you want us to arrange your flights between Santiago and Punta Arenas?

Domestic flights Santiago – Punta Arenas – Santiago. Duration of the flight: 3 hours (direct) / 4 hours (with a stop-over in Puerto Montt).

The Vessel: M/V Tanu

Whale watching Straits of Magellan — Observing whales from a respectful distance © Claudio F. Vidal, Far South Expeditions

Carlos III Island Eco-Camp

The EcoCamp at Carlos III Island is settled on a remote and pristine region of Chilean Patagonia, right on the western branch of the mythic Magellan Straits and in the center of the recently established Francisco Coloane Marine Park. It is run by Whalesound, a reputed whale-watching outfitter. Read more…

Whalesound EcoCamp — EcoCamp on Carlos III Island © Whalesound

EcoCamp Carlos III Whalesound — Dome at Carlos III Island © Whalesound

Tour Registration

To book this tour, please complete our online registration form. We will process your booking form and will send you (within 24 hours) a note with space confirmation and a deposit invoice with payment instructions. The deposit amount is US$ 600 per person. Full payment of the tour fee is due 90 days prior to tour departure .

Note: Inquires received on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays will be replied during the following working day.

Cancellation Policy

Notice of cancellation can only be accepted in writing from the person who signed the booking form and takes effect on the day such noticed is received by us.

Refunds are made according to the following schedule:

• If cancellation is made 120 days or more before departure date, the deposit less US$ 200 is refundable.

• If cancellation is made between 120 and 60 days before departure, the deposit is not refundable, but any payments covering the balance of the fee will be refunded.

• If cancellation is made past 60 days before departure date, no refund is available.

This policy and fee schedule also applies to pre-trip and post-trip extensions, as well as any transfers from one tour to another. We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance to protect yourself.