Punta Tombo Penguin Colony
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Punta Tombo is 180km south of Puerto Madryn. Most of the way is made of paved streets and the last 22km are made of well maintained gravel roads. On the road, you will get an impression of the immensity of the lonesome and arid Patagonic plateau and may see its famous cloud formations. From time to time, a herd of sheep or a group of ñandúes can be discovered along the way. Punta Tombo is the largest Magellan penguin colony of South America. The 500-acre reserve provides nesting ground to half a million penguins. The visitor will be able to observe the life of these humanlike birds from very near; one can literally walk among them. Some of the birds are nesting up to 2km from the coast and must walk a long way to provide their poults with food. Towards the coast, the natural lanes, created over the years by the birds, are crowded with thousands of busy animals, running from the sea to the nest and back. The heart of the reserve is a narrow peninsula of volcanic rock from where you may observe the transformation of this clumsy walking bird into an elegant, high-speed swimmer and diver. The reserve also hosts a lot of other seabirds and shorebirds, like King and Rock cormorants, Giant petrels, Kelp gulls, Flightless Steamer ducks and Black Oystercatchers. Informative panels explain in English and Spanish all about the animals. |
