Magellanic penguins in Patagonia
Magellanic penguins are native to the area around the Strait of Magellan in South America’s southernmost reaches. They can be easily recognised by the two black bands between the head and the breast and the white band across their eyes (giving them a ‘masked’ appearance). I visited this colony of Magellanic penguins while on my way to Puerto Natales (gateway to the Torres del Paine National Park) from Punta Arenas. If you visit this colony, look up a lady with a small stand selling woolly sweaters and gloves. That’s where I bought my favourite fridge magnet! 
Read the accompanying post: ‘Patagonia – Home of the Gods Part I‘.
2 Comments to Magellanic penguins in Patagonia
Very cute but they make me want to ask about the name. Are they Magellanic because the stripe goes all the way around? Do they themselves circumnavigate things? Or is it just because they live on a bit of rock named for someone else?
I believe they’re called Magellanic penguins after the explorer, Ferdinand Magellan, who was the first European in Patagonia.
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February 16, 2012