They waddled, they strutted, they flung dirt in the air, they were adorably cute, and, as one person said, some were quite cheeky. This is one of those special bucket list naturalist activities: to walk with the penguins. This Magellanic Penguin colony has about 65,000 breeding pairs, and although they have a rope to provide a safe zone for the Penguins, it is no barrier to the birds. They frequently travel the path with you and seem quite curious about human movements, mimicking our head movements in a truly endearing way. The photographic opportunities are extremely varied – breeding, social interactions, swimming, digging burrows, feeding babies, close-ups of the head and feathers. Taking videos is great too; the penguins' territorial braying calls are a noise you will remember forever. There are nesting neighbors like Kelp Gulls, South American Terns, and Chilean Skuas that add more raucous calls to the chorus. This Patagonia trip is filled with some of the most spectacular scenery in the world plus amazing animals and plants, but the penguins rank right up there as a very special highlight.

Ann & Rob Simpson
Patagonia | Safari Wildlife and Photography