Magdalena Island holds one of the largest Magellanic penguin colonies in Patagonia. Between September and April hundreds of breeding pairs come ashore to nest, and the whole island fills with noise and movement.
You get there by sailing across the Strait of Magellan. On the island, a marked trail climbs to the historic lighthouse and crosses the nesting area: the penguins walk a few metres away, in and out of their burrows, entirely unhurried by us. Black-browed albatrosses, skuas, terns, cormorants and gulls are common sights nearby.
This is the only one of our trips that also approaches Marta Island, home to a sea lion colony. Weather permitting, the boat sails past it for about ten minutes, with no landing: the sea lions are watched from deck, hauled out on the rocks or slipping into the water. Two islands of the same natural monument in a single outing.
The walk on the island is gentle. The route may change depending on weather conditions.