Each year, some 150,000 Magellanic Penguins nest on Magdalena Island in the Straits of Magellan off the southern tip of South America. To see them, my family and I took a covered zodiac on a rough 10-mile or so crossing to the small windblown island. Thanks to Dramamine and piped-in Beatles tunes, we arrived at Magdalena Island in good health and spirits.
Once there, we put on so many layers that we looked and walked like the penguins. We hiked the short, cordoned-off trail designed to minimize disturbance to the penguins. The island resembled Swiss cheese with its numerous penguin burrows. The penguins were everywhere – hundreds of them. They walked in purposeful-looking groups, stood guard by their burrows, and brayed like donkeys or let loose with their rhythmic “ha-ha-ha” call with their head pointed skyward. It was absolutely captivating.
Our experience put a face on a species that is threatened by oil spills and climate change. The latter is forcing the birds to swim farther to find food, according to researchers from the University of Washington. Protecting them = protecting ourselves by preventing oil spills and addressing climate change.
