Seno Otoway Penguin Colony

Near Punta Arenas - Chile

Penguins normally live 25-30 years and always come back to the place where they were born for the mating season. They usually have 1 or 2 offspring in which both the male and female penguins take turns to watch and feed the little ones.

The Otway Sound Penguin Colony is only 65km from Punta Arenas and the average tour takes 3-4 hours including travel time. There are many tours available that go in the the afternoon (usually 4pm-8pm) when the penguins can be seen returning from their fishing expedition in the sea.

The Seno Otway Penguins are on private property which is run by Turis-Otway. There is an entrance fee to the site ($4.500 November 2008). It pays to check whether that fee is included in your tour or not. Also you have to cross someone else's land to get there where they charge each person $1.000 (November 2008).

Note: Pengüineras is Spanish for Penguin Colony

When do the Penguins come?

The time to see the penguins is between September and March. The following dates are a rough timeline as to when they come and go and what happens while they are here at Seno Otway (Sound).

September 10-15
Penguins arrive from the southern coast of Brazil and the Falkland Islands.

September 15-30
They court and prepare their nests.

October 1-15
They mate and lay their eggs.

November
They brood their eggs.

November 15 - December 10
The eggs hatch and the offspring are born.

January - February
The young penguins change their feathers and begin to swim.

March 15 - April
They start leaving and return to the southern coast of Brazil and the Atlantic Islands.

Interesting Information about the Otway Sound Penguins

Hunting Time in the Sea: From 2-15 hours - Average 8.45 hours
Diving Depth: Average 14.9mts - Maximum 77.9mts
Diving Speed: Average 2mts per second
Diving Time: Average 57.83 seconds - Maximum 160 seconds
Adult Male Weight: Average 4.71kg - Maximum 5.27kg
Adult Female Weight: Average 3.74kg - Maximum 4.12kg
Offspring Weight: Average 3.39kg - Maximum 4.07kg
Offspring Age when leaving the Colony: 60 days
Reproductive Success Rate: 1.8 offspring per couple
Diet Composition: Fish, Cephalopods, Crustaceans
Colony Population 2006-2007: 4490 Adults

Making their nest

Three shots that I took that shows a penguin gathering straw and other plants from the land, taking it in its beak to a hole in the ground that contains the penguin's nest underground.