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ShoreTrips says...

The Penguins National Nature Reserve on Magdalena Island is one of Chile's largest and most important Magellanic penguin breeding sites. You'll recognize these small birds by their black and white "tuxedos".

You'll be picked up at your Punta Arenas hotel or the cruise ship pier by your private driver and transferred to the ferry for your ride to Magdalena Island, home to Los Pinguinos Natural Park. Your tour guide from the ferry will show you around the island, where you'll have approximately 1 hour, 30 minutes to explore and observe nature.

As you near the reserve you will be delighted to see (and hear) some of the estimated 60,000 breeding pairs of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus Magallanicus), who were named after Portugese explorer Ferdinand Magellan.

With an average height of just 20-30 inches, the Magellanic penguins typically live 25-30 years and always come back to the place where they were born for mating season. You'll be able to watch them build their nests by digging burrows into in the sandy southern shoreline. They usually produce 1 or 2 offspring and both penguin parents take turns watching and feeding the little ones. Their memorable squawks and distinctive waddles, while adorable and fun to us, are just part of their daily routine.

Although there are rope barriers for the protection of the penguins, you will be able get quite close (up to about one yard away) during this once-in-a-lifetime experience. As you follow the trail that goes around the island these busy birds will most likely cross your path, undaunted by their human spectators. Other bird species are also present on the island, including cormorants and Andean seagulls.

Keep your camera ready to capture what are sure to be memorable images of this threatened species.