Patagonia Penguins

Second largest  and similar in appearance to the Emperor penguin, King penguins have dark orange cheeks, white bellies, and light grey backs. They live in dense colonies, maintaining territories within pecking distance of each other amongst tussocks & sloping beaches. Adults rear up to two chicks every three years, and no other bird has a longer breeding cycle! They take 14-16 months to fledge a single chick, which may be left to fast for up to 5 months during winter (May- September). Their diet is more specialised than other penguins - they prefer pelagic fish such as lanternfish which make up over 99% of their diet.

Gentoo penguins can be identified by their orange/red lower mandible, and the white patch above each of their eyes (after 14 months of age). They are closely related to Chinstrap and Adelie penguins but usually live in smaller colonies that are less densely packed. They tend to stay close to their colonies all year round, but vagrants have been found in various locations. Their diet varies depending on where they are living, but generally consists mainly of crustaceans (particularly Krill), as well as benthic fish and occasionally squid!

The rockhoppers name refers to the two-footed hops they make as they move up and down the paths of the nesting colony. Rockhoppers are confident little penguins and show little fear of people or larger animals. They feed on krill, squid and fish which they swim to depths of 100m to catch. They nest in colonies on top of sea cliffs. Pairs will return to the same spot each year in October and lay two unequal sized eggs in November, they will usually only raise one chick, the one that hatches from the bigger egg. The male will provide most of the incubation and brooding duties, staying at the nest, fasting, whilst the female finds food for the chick. Once the chick joins the creche with the other young, the male will forge for food too. After ten weeks the chicks will fend for themselves, at this point the adults undergo a 25 day moult before leaving the colony. 

Martillo Island is accessed from Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego. It is a very special place because it is home to two (sometimes three!) different penguin species: Magellanic, Gentoo and the odd King penguin! 

The island can be visited in a few different ways:

• A 6 hour boat trip from Ushuaia takes you up the Beagle Channel to Martillo Island and back. You visit a sea lion colony, a nesting island for Cormorants, the famous lighthouse called Les Eclaireurs, and of course Martillo Island itself.
  
  The boat beaches at the island, where you can view the penguins from onboard. A great trip for bird watchers and nature lovers in general.

The Valdes region is home to an abundance of wildlife, and several penguin colonies. The most well-known and popular colony is at Punta Tombo, which is home to the the largest Magellanic penguin colony in the Americas. Approximately one million penguins come here each year to roost between September & March. Penguin watching tours head here from both Puerto Madryn and Trelew, or you can drive there independently with a hire car. The best time to visit is between October and March, but it can be quite busy and touristy.

The beautiful island of Chiloe is host to two different breeds of Penguins, who nest on three rocky islands accessible from the lovely beach of Punihuil. It is in fact, the only place where both Magellanic and Humboldt penguins nest together! You could choose to take a day trip to the island from Puerto Varas or to spend a night or two on the island itself.

Photo © Enrique Couve