Bob and Joyce South America Adventure
December 5 - December 25, 2002

Last update:04/17/2003

Magellanic Penguins - 2

Thirty five kilometers (21 miles) east of Punta Arenas,  Chile,  is the Magdalena Island Natural Penguin Monument. We traveled for 2 hours by boat. During the trip, in the distance we could see a large oil refinery. Closer to the boat we observed numerous petrils, wandering albatross, cormorants, several dolphins, and many Magellanic penguins. The Island is small,  a bit more than a half square mile in area, topped by a red lighthouse. About 150,000 birds are on the island during the breeding season in the early summer. The penguins hatch the young in little holes in the ground (burrows). Penguins mate for life and somehow know to come back to this place when they feel the  urge to mate again. They return to exactly the same burrow each time. Some of the burrows have signs with names on them (probably placed by humans!), but most have no identifying marks. The birds are a bit shy towards humans, but they do not run away. A simple rope is placed along pathways so that the penquins do not disturb the humans who come to take LOTS of pictures and videos.

Two is company and three is even safer!

The typical size is up to about 18-24 inches. See the red bench on the shore; the bench level is head level.

In the water they look like a duck until you look closer.

The lighthouse, now a museum.

Getting to know each other

The cycle of reproduction. From April until August they are in the waters of the Straits of Magellan and in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In September they start family planning and come home. The eggs are incubated for about 30 days. They the young are kept in the burrows until March when its time to fish or be bait. The young do not have the characteristic black and white. They are furry and grey colored.

A few were still padding the nest with grass.

Those webbed feet allow them to swim and dive very fast.

Down into the hole!

With many thousands all talking at once the noise is interesting. Sounds a bit like a soprano mule braying. I'm sure everyone knows how that must sound?

This area is near the tip of South America. The many Chilean fiords and islands are around the Straits of Magellan.

The kids need lots of food so the activity on the beach is constant.

If someone finds the wrong house, the reaction by the owner is quite exciting. Need video to see that.

The birds are frequently making sure that each other are suitable for pictures.

Mom just waits for the appointed 30 days to pass.

The gulls and albatross are always ready to have eggs and penguin young for dessert. They live very close together. There are surely some rules of conduct.

That little guy on the left is a young chick.  They don't get any further out than this. Mom and Dad are very careful about who gets pictures.

See penquin chicks

© Copyright 2003 Robert E. Graf

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