There are several books written about the natural history of Tierra del Fuego, but it’s so fascinating that I have to at least offer a bit of information.

The vast majority of visitors to Tierra del Fuego just come to see the King Penguin colony, almost two hours south of Porvenir. You do need a good telephoto lens if you want to take decent photos, though. Click through mine and you’ll see the blind where people can stand to see the penguins. You’re not very close to them but you will have a great view. Be warned that you need a reservation! It is booked most of the year and you should make plans a minimum of two weeks in advance. Click on Book Your Ticket on their website.

The penguins are amazing and something that everybody with the opportunity should absolutely visit. However, you shouldn’t stop there. The island has many wonderful places to visit and I recommend at least a week to see just the highlights.

The introduction of ten breeding pairs of beavers from Canada was supposed to be an economic investment in the fur trade. Unfortunately, the project died and the beavers prospered. The damage they’re doing is drastic and best described in this National Geographic article about the beavers of Tierra del Fuego.

Southern Elephant Seals are the largest of all seals. Males (like the two above) can be over 20 feet long and weigh up to 8,820 pounds. I’ve been in boats significantly smaller than that. The inflatable zodiac that I was sitting in to take these photos was much smaller. I went to see them with Pechuga of Viejo Lobo de Mar Expeditions. We kept our distance and the seals completed ignored us.

Recommended guides

For boat tours of glaciers in Tierra del Fuego, contact Viejo Lobo de Mar Expediciones on Instagram or vldmexpediciones@gmail.com

For personalized tours anywhere in the region, contact KaNaturaleza kanaturaleza@gmail.com or WhatsApp+56923960855

KaNaturaleza owners Katalina Carretta & Ignacio Carrasco have three Instagram accounts @katarukinka @nachoexplorador @kanaturaleza