Magdalena Island, Magallanes Region

This article is about an island in the Strait of Magellan. For other uses, see Magdalena Island.

Magdalena Island

Geography
Location	Strait of Magellan
Coordinates	52°55′10″S 70°34′34″W
Highest elevation	27 m (89 ft)
Administration
Chile

Magdalena Island (Spanish: Isla Magdalena) is a small island in the Strait of Magellan, Chile.

History

Magellan, definitely saw the island as he passed for the first time in the strait. Antonio Pigafetta, while speaking about the desertion of Sab Antonio cites in his famous book, s:The First Voyage Round the World/Pigafetta's Account of Magellan's Voyage (Chap.79), that in to alert the crew of the ship if they ever try to get back:

"This manner of acting had been ordained by the captain from the commencement, in order to effect the junction of any ship which might be separated from the others. So the people of the said ship did what the captain had commanded them, and more, for they set two ensigns with letters; one of the ensigns was placed on a small hill at the first bay, the other on an islet in the third bay, where there were many sea wolves and large birds."

Geography

See also: Los Pingüinos Natural Monument

It is located in Magallanes Region about 32 km northeast of the regional capital Punta Arenas. In 1982, it and nearby Marta Island were declared a national monument—Los Pingüinos Natural Monument. The island is the breeding location for several species of seabirds, most notably the Magellanic penguin. The penguin colony on the island has been monitored since 1998 and was estimated to hold 63,000 breeding pairs in 2007. The island is currently uninhabited.