We are thrilled to offer this exciting NEW 7 day/6 night combination water & land journey through the Straits of Magellan and Tierra del Fuego (Land of Fire).
At the southern tip of western Patagonia, the American continent transforms into a network of islands, fjords and channels that shape the southern archipelago. In these lands, for centuries and even today, people have faced the challenges imposed by the elements. This phenomenon is extensively described by the Chilean writer Francisco Coloane as like no other. The combination of pristine, wild and inaccessible environments has generated the interest of the adventurous and lovers of wild places.
At the end of the last century, a group of young biologists and explorers discovered what remains the only feeding ground for humpback whales in the Straits of Magellan. Following this discovery and associated studies, the first marine park in Chile was established here in 2003, it was named the Francisco Coloane Marine Park. Our partner and local operator was founded as the logistical platform to support the research and scientific outreach activities of this relatively new (at the time) Scientific Tourism.
The knowledge accumulated over more than 30 years is initially based on the work of three biologists: Jorge Gibbons and Juan Capella, responsible for scientific management and Carlos Valladares, responsible for logistical and administrative management. In the initial phase, descriptive information was gathered on the birds and mammals of this area of the Strait including cataloging 250 Humpback Whale individuals, many of whom return each year. Some even have names like Fidelio, Carla, Domingo, Amanda and Iris, among others.
During this exploratory phase, the company was supported on land by the fisherwoman Doña Miguelina Suarzo who provided them with her ranch (a camp built from corrugated tin) in Río Batchelor, across from Carlos III Island. Subsequently, a first and then a second Eco Camp were constructed on Carlos III Island at a selected site.
Since the early days the company and guides with participating passengers have been photo-identifying each humpback whale captured on film. The effort has provided valuable information used in research projects and scientific publications. In this new phase, Citizen Science has been incorporated as a cornerstone of these excursions. The team frequently navigates the fjords and channels of Patagonia and they are a platform that contributes to the understanding of both the natural and cultural heritage of the area.
Now, the company has taken their knowledge and light sustainable approach deeper into the fjords and channels of Tierra del Fuego to explore and learn more about these unique and fascinating ecosystems. Those who inhabited the Fuegian archipelago for thousands of years surely knew every island and bay in this labrynth of channels. Navigating it’s waterways takes us back millenia and puts us in the shoes of the early canoeists who travelled these routes.
We can now offer a new 7-day/6-night combination journey from Francisco Coloane to the wild Isle of Tierra del Fuego takes visitors on a unique navigation-exploration through the vast and little travelled Patagonian-Fuegian archipelago. The trip starts with a visit to the Brunswick Peninsula to see the whales. From there we head south through remote and wild glacial-filled waterways as we approach the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego at Caleta Maria. From here we explore some of Tierra del Fuego’s dramatic and empty landscapes before taking a road trip back north to a King Penguin colony before taking a ferry crossing to Punta Arenas where the trip will end.
This once in a lifetime adventure will run on two dates in April 2025:
Group 1: Will depart Punta Arenas on 12 April 2025 starting with a boat navigation of the Francisco Coloane Marine Park and finishing in Punta Arenas on 18 April 2025.
Group 2: Will depart Punta Arenas for the trip south to Caleta Maria on 14 April 2025 and finish in Punta Arenas on 20 April 2025 (the whale watching will be at the end of the trip).
The per person cost is US$4,570.
Contact us for the full itinerary and further details.
For the 3 day-2 night Whale Watching Eco Tour, click on the link here.