minimunchkin: Magdalena Island

Penguins, penguins, penguins! Today was all about these little guys. We left Torres del Paine yesterday, very sad to leave. We loved everything about Patagonia, the stunning landscape, the intriguing animals, the clear clean water from the glaciers, crisp fresh air and even the bone chilling winds. You can’t help but feel alive the minute you step out outdoors and take in your first breath of air. And that is why I made sure I ate lots of Calafate berries, the little blueberry-like fruit native to Patagonia. According to local mythical belief, “anyone who eats a Calafate berry will return to Patagonia’s captivating landscapes again”!

A two-hour drive brought us from Patagonia Camp to Punta Arenas, the city near the tip of Chile’s southernmost Patagonia region. It was absolutely freezing here, this was the coldest we’ve felt since we landed in South America. The wind was so strong that it was hard to stand up straight when it blew directly in our direction. Mia and I had to duck into a shop at one point to keep from being blown backwards!

Magdalena Island is a small island in the Strait of Magellan, and it is here that the Magellanic penguins return each year to breed. We almost couldn’t make it out here to see the penguins. The night before our visit, we received a note from the tour company saying that the trip may be cancelled if the weather doesn’t improve as it would be too windy for the boat to get near the island. Noooo! We came all the way to see these penguins. Thank goodness the winds died down somewhat the next morning so we were good to go!