Beagle Channel: Exploring the end of the world
For ten days, we sailed the southernmost area of Chile to the south of the Beagle Channel, registering its unique and vibrant ecosystems due to the confluence of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Antarctic oceans. A beautiful explosion of life and vibrant colors!
To the north of the Beagle Channel is the island of Tierra del Fuego, while to the south are the Navarino Islands, where the southernmost city in the world is located: Puerto Williams. An area that, both under the sea and on land, has unparalleled beauty!
Expedition to the south of the Beagle Channel
Before starting a new excursion, we plan the dives we will make at strategic points of the Patagonian Sea. Our Conservation Director, Ingrid Espinoza, who leads the marine program, studies the area to determine the critical sites with her team and Ana de la Torriente, program advisor, and with the collaboration of Alberto Serrano, researcher at the Spanish Institute of Oceanography.
Surrounded by islands, mountains, and forests, dominated mainly by the Magellan’s beech trees, we sailed the southern tip of Chile. Accompanied by a team of local and national marine biologists and photographers (Mateo Cáceres, Eduardo Sorensen, José Tomás Yakasovic, and Bernardo Toro), we dived the coasts, channels, fjords, and bays to document the rich biodiversity of the area and its threats.
"During the dives, we record each species observed to learn about the ecosystem. We have a monitoring protocol that allows us to identify the density of marine fauna and flora, their interactions and interrelationships"
“During the dives, we record each species observed to learn about the ecosystem. We have a monitoring protocol that allows us to identify the density of marine fauna and flora, their interactions and interrelationships,” says Ingrid Espinoza. Through the information obtained in the expeditions, we aim to highlight their importance in collaborating with the State in creating marine protected areas.
Join us in this new marine conservation adventure!
The importance of protecting the Magellan Region
In the southernmost region of the country, there are diverse ecosystems such as evergreen, Andean, and sub-Antarctic forests, periglacial scrublands, peatlands, tundra, Patagonian steppe, and cold desert, which are home to hundreds of species of flora, fauna, and funga. This incredible biodiversity richness on land is mirrored in the sea, where there are extensive kelp forests and animal forests formed by benthic fauna such as whip corals and red hydrocorals, among others.
“The Magellan Region is very interesting from the point of view that it still has pristine ecosystems, both terrestrial and marine, and for us, it is an important area to advance in creating marine protected areas,” Ingrid emphasizes.
