Los Pingüinos Natural Monument (, ) is located northeast of Punta Arenas, Chile. Magdalena Island and the Marta Island, situated in the middle of the Strait of Magellan, is the main part of this natural monument. The largest penguin colonies of south Chile are on this island, including an estimated 60,000 breeding pairs of the Magellanic penguin.
The islands are currently uninhabited by humans, but are a popular tourist destination. Each summer, thousands of tourists travel to the monument to see the penguins and other wildlife. At 85 hectares, Magdalena Island is the larger of the two islands, and receives most of the tourist traffic, while Marta is made up of only 12 hectares of surface area, and is not often included in tours. CONAF (National Forest Corporation of Chile) manages the monument in an attempt to sustain both the tourism and the Magellanic penguins, for which the island has become a critical habitat.
History
Prior to the 16th century, Magdalena and Marta Islands were inhabited by three pre-Hispanic cultures: the Selknam, the Yaghan, and the Kawésqar. These people had very little effect on the islands as they had a small population and also spent much time fishing at sea, rather than being on the island. The Selknam were forced to leave after Spanish colonialists brought sheep to the region, which eliminated the habitat of the guanaco, an animal similar to an alpaca, that they hunted. The Yaghan and Kawesqar also eventually abandoned the area due to colonial pressure. Though people no longer live on the islands, the human impacts are likely much greater than where there were inhabitants because thousands of people visit the islands each year.
While many names for the islands have been used during early exploration by Spanish ships and pirates, their current names, Magdalena and Marta were given by a 16th-century Spanish explorer, Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa. Little history of the island from the time of Spanish colonialism to the present day has been recorded.
Description
The Pingüinos monument was founded in 1966 in an effort to protect the Magellanic penguin from the threat of fishing. Because the penguins feed on the same species that the fishing industry targets, high levels of fishing deplete the penguins’ food source, causing a decline in their population. In 1982, the monument was named a protected area. By having a 30-kilometer no-fishing zone around the island, and by preserving the island as a penguin-breeding site, the penguin population has recovered. Magellanic penguins have continued to thrive on the island: from 2000 to 2007, the population increased by 6%, and some penguins have migrated to a nearby island because Magdalena is running out of space.
Climate
The climate can be described as cold and rainy, with an average temperature of 46 F. There are not large seasonal changes other than the temperature shifts between summer and winter. During the winter, the temperature may drop below zero, and during the summer, it may reach 64 F. Average annual rainfall is 17 inches. High winds are reported by many who visit the monument.
Flora
Very few species of flora are found on the islands, which may be due to the cold, windy climate, as well as the rocky substrate that composes the island. One species of short grass is found across Magdalena island. The grass particularly thrives in areas with reduced animal populations. The ocean surrounding Magdalena Island supports a large kelp population.
Fauna
The most notable fauna found at the monument is the Magellanic penguin, for which the site was named. Over 60,000 pairs inhabit the island, and it is these penguins that attract tourists to the site. Other important fauna include the imperial shag, sea lions and south American fur seals, who are known to rest on the islands, and two species of seagull: the dolphin gull and the common gull. Some of the rocky shoreline supports a mussel population.
Threats to the penguin population
The Magellanic penguin is not an endangered species, but it is close to becoming a threatened species due to the habitat loss and resource scarcity in many regions of South America. The penguins have much higher birth rates and chick survival rates on Magdalena Island than at other nesting sites, which have been disturbed by human activity. Because the penguins face threats at other locations, the preservation of the natural monument has become much more important. The islands are an ideal resource for the penguins because of the low predator abundance, high food abundance, and the isolation of the islands from the developed world, especially when the islands are closed to tourists