Penguins of
Magdalena Island

Magellanic Penguin © Claudio F. Vidal, Far South Expeditions

Penguins of Magdalena Island

Punta Arenas Penguin tours | Day trip from Punta Arenas, Chile

Half day morning tour (c. 5 hours) by boat and with private naturalist guide

Departures from October until March | Weather permitting

Important | We can only accept bookings made at least 10 days before the trip date

Penguins of Magdalena Island. Join us on this extraordinary adventure to discover the breeding colony of Magellanic Penguins at Magdalena Island, in the Magellan Straits, southern Chile.

This brief trip is suitable for nature enthusiasts as well as wildlife photographers of all levels of skills. During this wildlife adventure, you will have the guidance of one of our naturalist guides as well as private transfers from your hotel to the embarkation sites; however, this is not a private trip, we will share the boat(s) with other guests and groups.

We will sail out from Laredo Bay (20km north of Punta Arenas) bound for Magdalena Island, in the waters of the mythical Straits of Magellan, in Chilean Patagonia. This protected area holds a huge Magellanic Penguin colony of more than 28,000 individuals. Besides the penguins, several other species of seabirds such as Imperial and Rock Cormorants, Dolphin and Kelp Gulls, Chilean Skua and South American Tern nest here. We will be able to land at Magdalena and walk the well-marked loop trail up to its historic lighthouse.

We will also visit the small Marta Island, just a few miles away from Magdalena. There is here a fairly large rookery of South American Sea Lion, comprising all ages and sizes, from playful juveniles to massive bulls. At times, rare visitors such as Southern Elephant Seal and even Leopard Seal can be seen resting on the rugged coast. Snowy Sheathbills often occur here, attending the noisy sea lion colony searching for food. Penguins of Magdalena Island.

This boat trip is highly dependent on the weather conditions, particularly wind. The Coast Guard Authority may cancel or postpone the schedule departure, if it is too windy; consequently there is some degree of cancellation risk during the operation season (October to March).

Our Penguins of Magdalena Island trip can be easily combined with our Condors of Patagonia half day trip. If you are interested in that possibility of seeing some of the most iconic wildlife of Patagonia, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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Magellanic Penguins © Claudio F. Vidal, Far South Expeditions

Magellanic Penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus), Magdalena Island, Chile © Claudio F. Vidal, Far South Exp

Trip Map

Detailed Itinerary and Activities

This trip is available on a daily basis from the October 15th until April 15th. The duration is approximately 5 hours, from 06.45am to 11.45am. penguins of magdalena island.

The trip starts with a private transfer at 6.45am from your hotel to the dock of Laredo, located 20 km north 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 boats of our outfitter Solo Expediciones.

The vessel will leave the dock at 7.30am. The boat will be carrying individual passengers and other groups, but your private naturalist guide will provide interpretation on the wildlife and history highlights of the trip.

At approximately 8.30am, we will be reaching Magdalena Island and its imposing cliffs, teeming with wildlife. We will have one hour to explore the trail towards the center of the island, which ends at the conspicuous lighthouse which is now the ranger station. This protected area belongs to the Los Pingüinos Natural Monument. We will be overwhelmed by the large numbers of Magellanic Penguins inhabiting every available spot of the island’s surface and by their raucous braying calls. Some of the penguins will be busy while landing, coming ashore from their feeding trips, taking a bath or preening and resting peacefully at the shoreline while others will be waking with its characteristic gait towards their burrows to incubate the eggs or attend their chicks. Several other seabird species breed in the island including Imperial and Rock Cormorants, Dolphin and Kelp Gulls, Chilean Skua and South American Tern. South American Sea Lions occasionally patrol the coast looking opportunities to catch a distracted penguin. Penguins of Magdalena Island.

We will be leaving Magdalena Island at 9.30 in direction to the surrounding Marta Island where there are significant numbers of South American Sea Lions. After enjoying of one of the greatest nature spectacles in Patagonia, we will set back to Laredo docks.

This trip presents you with excellent opportunities to watch these penguins and other patagonian seabirds like Chilean Skua, Black-browed Albatross, Southern Giant Petrel, Southern Fulmar, Dolphin Gull, Imperial Cormorant and other wildlife in their natural habitat and learn more about their natural history and breeding strategies, and when you do it through the expertise and knowledge of a naturalist guide who interprets and explains to you about everything that you find along the way, you can make the most out of your excursion. penguins of magdalena island

Rates & Conditions

Day Tour

This trip is available on a daily basis from October 15th, 2023 until March 31st, 2024 • Trip duration: 06.45am – 11.45am.

Meet/Depart

Daily departures from Punta Arenas, Chile.

Duration

Approximately 5 hours | Pick-up time at the hotel / Punta Arenas port at 6.45am.

No. of Guests	1	2	3	4-5	6+
Price per person (USD)	$585	$350	$299	$275	$250
Children (less than 12 years) (USD)	50% off
Trips are guaranteed to depart with a minimum of 2 participants. Maximum group size of 7 participants.

The above prices are per person in US Dollars. All payments are in US Dollars.

What the trip includes/excludes

The trip price includes: Private transportation and guide services during the tour, boat trip tickets, park entry fees and water. VAT of the tour is also included.

The trip price excludes: Tipping for guide and boat crew, travel insurance, a la carte dishes, alcoholic drinks, and anything else of a purely personal nature.

Tour Registration

To book this tour, please complete the online registration form and pay a deposit of US$ 100 per person. Full payment of the tour fee is due 30 days prior to tour departure.

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$ 50 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 fewer than 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.