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PUNTA ARENAS

Excursion to Isla Magdalena (Half-day)
and Isla Marta

You will be welcomed at the pier in Punta Arenas by your local guide and first drive about 25 minutes to the
starting point of this boat excursion.
Isla Santa Marta and Isla Magdalena are reached by a 4.5-hr trip by inflatable zodiac through the chilly waters
of the Magellan Strait. The islands are home to an enormous colony of Magellan penguins, and there are also
many other animals to see, including cormorants and petrels. The excursion starts at Laredo Bay, 25 kilometres
to the north of Punta Arenas. You will set out across the waters of the strait, arriving first at Santa Marta Island,
where an important colony of sea lions are located, along with cormorant nesting grounds. After a tour of
Santa Marta, the excursion continues on to Magdalena Island, which, along with Santa Marta, has been part
of the Los Pingüinos Natural Monument protection area since 1982. Each year, from October to March, over
sixty thousand pairs of Magellan penguins converge on Santa Magdalena, taking advantage of the summer
weather to nest and fledge their young. On your tour, you’ll visit an environmental interpretation centre which,
besides an amazing view, provides information on the Magellan Strait and its ecological richness. Following a
circumnavigation of Magdalena Island in the zodiac, you will return back to your starting point in Laredo Bay.

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