Beagle Channel by Catamaran & Magellan Penguin Rookery
Moderate Activity
Includes snack
Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.
What you will visit:
Beagle Channel Wildlife by Catamaran
Darwin's Beagle trip established him as an eminent geologist, and his journal of the voyage made him a famous and popular author. Traversing an east-west route along the south of Argentina and Chile, the Beagle Channel threads between snow-capped mountains, rocky outcrops and shrub forests. Home to penguins, deer and even roving whales, it is one of three navigable passages around South America. It served as a global trade route for a century but was also the center of a decades-long territorial dispute between its bordering countries. It is now primarily a peaceful touring attraction, with its rugged scenery, rich history and periodic glacier calving amazing visitors and locals alike.
What you will see along the way:
Depart from Ushuaia's pier by catamaran and set off through picturesque Lapataia Bay in a southeasterly direction to the Beagle Channel, known for its breathtaking landscapes, abundant wildlife and string of islands. You'll pass Isla de los Pajaros, inhabited by a colony of imperial cormorants, and Isla de los Lobos, where sea lions can be found lounging on the shore. Sail through Les Éclaireurs Archipelago and see the famed Les Éclaireurs lighthouse and the highpoint of the day is no doubt Hammer Island, populated by a colony of elegant Magellanic penguins.
Photo Opportunities:
Now is the time to bring your best gear and lenses to capture incredible wildlife photographs and stunning scenery. Focus on the bustling rookery of imperial cormorants. This large black and white bird is an impressive sight as it wheels high in the sky, fishes for its supper and then lands on shore to dry its wings in the sun. Large South American sea lions are often found on the rocky coastline, and you won't want to miss the colony of elegant Magellanic penguins, named after the maritime explorer Ferdinand Magellan, on Hammer Island. Also capture images of famed Les Éclaireurs lighthouse. Inaugurated on December 23, 1920, it is still in operation today and is probably the most photographed lighthouse in South America. It is known to the Argentinians as the Lighthouse at the End of the World.
Snack:
A snack is offered on the boat during your tour.
Points of interest
Beagle Channel
Schedule
Special Notes
The amount of walking involved on this tour depends on where the catamaran is docked. If there are no other ships in port, catamarans can be docked shipside; if not, catamarans are docked at the Tourist Port which is approx. 500 meters away. Tour is weather dependent. Bring sturdy, non-slip walking or hiking shoes, sunscreen, a hat, and a jacket or windbreaker for sudden weather shifts. You will not go ashore at the penguin colony; the skipper maneuvers close to the shoreline, and you view the penguins from the boat.
Exceptional Value
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Moderate Activity
Includes snack
Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.
What you will visit:
Beagle Channel Wildlife by Catamaran
Darwin's Beagle trip established him as an eminent geologist, and his journal of the voyage made him a famous and popular author. Traversing an east-west route along the south of Argentina and Chile, the Beagle Channel threads between snow-capped mountains, rocky outcrops and shrub forests. Home to penguins, deer and even roving whales, it is one of three navigable passages around South America. It served as a global trade route for a century but was also the center of a decades-long territorial dispute between its bordering countries. It is now primarily a peaceful touring attraction, with its rugged scenery, rich history and periodic glacier calving amazing visitors and locals alike.
What you will see along the way:
Depart from Ushuaia's pier by catamaran and set off through picturesque Lapataia Bay in a southeasterly direction to the Beagle Channel, known for its breathtaking landscapes, abundant wildlife and string of islands. You'll pass Isla de los Pajaros, inhabited by a colony of imperial cormorants, and Isla de los Lobos, where sea lions can be found lounging on the shore. Sail through Les Éclaireurs Archipelago and see the famed Les Éclaireurs lighthouse and the highpoint of the day is no doubt Hammer Island, populated by a colony of elegant Magellanic penguins.
Photo Opportunities:
Now is the time to bring your best gear and lenses to capture incredible wildlife photographs and stunning scenery. Focus on the bustling rookery of imperial cormorants. This large black and white bird is an impressive sight as it wheels high in the sky, fishes for its supper and then lands on shore to dry its wings in the sun. Large South American sea lions are often found on the rocky coastline, and you won't want to miss the colony of elegant Magellanic penguins, named after the maritime explorer Ferdinand Magellan, on Hammer Island. Also capture images of famed Les Éclaireurs lighthouse. Inaugurated on December 23, 1920, it is still in operation today and is probably the most photographed lighthouse in South America. It is known to the Argentinians as the Lighthouse at the End of the World.
Snack:
A snack is offered on the boat during your tour.
Points of interest
Beagle Channel
Schedule
Special Notes
The amount of walking involved on this tour depends on where the catamaran is docked. If there are no other ships in port, catamarans can be docked shipside; if not, catamarans are docked at the Tourist Port which is approx. 500 meters away. Tour is weather dependent. Bring sturdy, non-slip walking or hiking shoes, sunscreen, a hat, and a jacket or windbreaker for sudden weather shifts. You will not go ashore at the penguin colony; the skipper maneuvers close to the shoreline, and you view the penguins from the boat.