Isla Pingüino Interjurisdictional Marine Park

Information

It is an island in the Argentine Sea, in the province of Santa Cruz. It is 3 km from the coast and about 21 km from the waterfront of Puerto Deseado. It is located within a protected area called Isla Pingüino Interjurisdictional Marine Park.

It constitutes a unique destination for those interested in nature. On one hand, a great variety of wildlife species are present there. And on the other hand, it has the particularity of hosting a colony of Southern rockhopper penguins, a species different from the one usually observed in the continental penguin colonies of Argentina.

To visit the island, one must take a boat trip with some of the authorized agencies in Puerto Deseado. These tour operators can be found in that city in the port area or also in Point Cascajo. It is important to mention that for the excursion to take place the weather must be suitable, since for example it cannot be done with strong winds. It is also necessary to check with the agencies whether a minimum number of people is required to confirm the excursion or if it is advisable to book in advance. Another important point is that the penguins are not present all year, and the best time to see them is between October and March.

The trip to the island takes around 1 hour (one way) and generally visitors stay there for a few hours. On the way there or back, sometimes a detour is made to see islets with sea lions and cormorants. It may also include sailing through areas where dolphin sightings are frequent.

Upon landing on the island, a large number of sea lions can usually be seen on the beach from a distance. The island is toured along a path accompanied by a guide who tells various details and stories of the place. At one point the path passes by a lighthouse, visible during much of the walk, which was built in 1908 and is still in operation today.

On the island there are two species of penguins. One is the magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus), which is normally seen in large numbers in the penguin colonies visited by tourists on the continental part of the country such as Punta Tombo, Cabo Dos Bahías, Monte León National Park, etc. The other is the Southern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome), of great interest because it is not a species observed in those continental tourist sites. It should be noted that both colonies do not mix, rather the individuals of each remain separated and only rarely is one or some of one species seen wandering in the colony of the other.

There are also other birds present. Upon arriving at the island imperial shags (Leucocarbo atriceps) and snowy sheathbills (Chionis albus) are usually observed. There are also the species of Chilean skua (Catharacta chilensis) and brown skua (Catharacta antarctica), which often attack penguin chicks and therefore are frequently found near their colonies.