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Punta Tombo is where tens of thousands of Magellanic Penguins live and breed. It is located in the Province of Chubut (on the Atlantic coast of Argentina about 800 miles - 1,300 km - south of Buenos Ayres ) and thepenguin colony is said to be the largest in South America. This natural reserve can be reached by car driving 70 miles (120 Km.) south from Trelew or from Rawson. The reproduction period starts in mid September and lasts until the end of March. Magellanic Penguins tend to be monogamous so that once a couple has been formed, the same couple will occupy and use again the same nest that they used the preceding year. Typically a Magellanic Penguin nest will be a smallish hole or cavity in the ground. Often penguins will dig out their nest by themselves unless they find a natural cave formed in between the bush roots that are spread all over the Punta Tombo area. The female will lay generally two eggs that will need incubation for around 40 days. Often only one chick will survive, however. Magellanic Penguins spend much of their adult lives in water as they are even able to sleep while floating. All penguins go through an annual molting period. During the three weeks this period lasts, they avoid getting into the water since they don't have the ability to regulate their body temperature while they have lost their feathers. As a consequence they eat nothing for the whole time. The Punta Tombo reserve harbors other protected species besides the Magellanic such as the Steamer Duck which is very rare and can be found only in the Province of Chubut . |
