The trip starts with a private transfer at 4.00am from your hotel to Carrera Bay, located 50 km (31 miles) south of Punta Arenas. Your private naturalist guide will be with you during the entire duration of the trip and will take care of all the logistical aspects to get you on board the catamaran of our outfitter Solo Expediciones.
In case you opt for the regular tour, you’ll be transferred from a pre-defined meeting point in Punta Arenas to Carrera Bay by coach, together with the other passengers.
The vessel will leave the bay at 5.00am. The boat will be carrying individual passengers and other groups. However, if you choose the private option of the trip, your own private naturalist guide will be happy to assist you during the journey and provide interpretation on the wildlife and history highlights.
Around 7.00am, we will pass Cape Froward, the southernmost point of mainland America. This steep cliff with a huge steel cross on top of it invites to take attractive pictures. We’ll then continue our journey towards the Marine Park Francisco Coloane, always heading in a northwestern direction. On the way there, we’re likely to see marine birds such as Black-browed Albatrosses, Giant Petrels and Chilean Skuas. We might also already see the first Humpback Whales looking for food or resting in the waters of the Magellan Straits.
Once we arrive in the protected area, we’ll take all our time to observe the stunning fauna of the area. The main attraction doubtlessly will be the impressive Humpback Whales. Every summer, a population of these giants comes to the Strait of Magellan and its adjacent fjords for feeding. Wildlife is very diverse here, so that we’ll probably also see South American Fur Seals and Sea Lions, as well as many different bird species. Towards the end of the morning, we’ll head into a protected fjord of Santa Ines Island, where a massive calving glacier will enchant us.
We will be leaving the area in the early afternoon, and navigate back to Carrera Bay and Punta Arenas, where we’re supposed to arrive around 4.30pm.
This trip presents you with excellent opportunities to watch and photograph marine mammals – especially Humpback Whales – and birds such as Chilean Skua, Black-browed Albatross, Southern Giant Petrel, Southern Fulmar, Dolphin Gull, Imperial Cormorant. We’ll spend a whole day navigating in the Strait of Magellan and its adjacent fjords, a stunning environment dominated by mountains, evergreen forests and water in all kind of physical phases.
In order to make the most out of your day, we recommend you to travel with one of our experienced naturalist guides. He/she will interpret and explain you about everything that you can find along the way.
