Because the seas were too rough on Christmas Eve, we were unable to make our first attempt to sail to Magdalena Island, where the The Penguins Natural Monument is located. Fortunately, we packed two ship tours into a single day on the day after Christimas, and successfully made it to Magdalena Island after our naval vessel tour of the Strait of Magellan. On this second tour, we headed north and east, towards the Atlantic Ocean, for approximately two hours. Although the trip to the island and back takes 4 hours and our time on the island was restricted to an hour, it was well worth it.

The penguins on the island were medium-sized Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus), named for Magellan who initially observed them in 1520. These penguins are related to those found in South African and the Galápagos islands. They nest in a large colonies in burrows on the island, and the boys observed many juvenile penguins in the burrows with their parents.

On a high point at the end of the trail, a lighthouse overlooks the surrounding sea. The boys sang at the light house, despite admonitions from the tour guides that we needed to vacate the island to stay on schedule.

Needless to say the visit was a delight for all, especially for several of the boys with an affinity towards these awkward, but lovable creatures.