Penguin Colony at Punta Tombo

Punta Tombo is a peninsula into the Atlantic Ocean 110 kilometres south of Trelew in the Chubut Province of Argentina, where there is an important colony of Magellanic Penguins. It is found a short distance north of Camarones. Trelew is a city in the Chubut Province of Patagonia. ... Chubut is a province in the southern part of Argentina, that lies between the 42nd Parallel South (forming the border with the Río Negro Province) and 46th Parallel South (bordering Santa Cruz Province), the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean. ... Binomial name Spheniscus magellanicus (Forster, 1781) The Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) is a South American penguin, breeding in coastal Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands, with some migrating to Brazil. ...

The 3 kilometre long, 600 meter wide peninsula is covered with sand, clay and gravel. Between September and April, up to one million penguins come to this site to incubate their eggs, and prepare their offspring for migration - the largest such colony in South America. Couples stand in front of their nests, protecting the eggs from birds and other predators, and occasionally one adult goes to the sea for food. Other wildlife encountered in the area including sea birds (mainly seagulls, chimangos and cormorants), rheas and guanacos. Genera Aptenodytes Eudyptes Eudyptula Megadyptes Pygoscelis Spheniscus Penguins (order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are an order of flightless birds living in the southern hemisphere. ... The word incubate in the context of birds refers to the development of the chick (embryo) within the egg and the constant temperature required for the development of it over a specific period. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Genera Pagophila Larus Rissa Creagus Xema Rhodostethia Gulls are seabirds in the family Laridae and subfamily Lari. ... Genera Nannopterum Phalacrocorax Leucocarbo The Phalacrocoracidae family of birds is represented by over thirty species of cormorants and shags. ... In Greek mythology, Rhea was the sister and wife of Cronus and the mother of many of the other major gods of the pantheon. ... Binomial name Lama guanicoe (Müller, 1776) The Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) (sometimes spelled Guanco) is an elegant, fine-boned lamoid animal that stands approximately 3 ft 6 (1. ...

The 2.1 km² Punta Tombo Provincial Reserve has been protected since 1979, according to provincial decree, and it is one of the main tourist attractions in Chubut. Other important nearby colonies are Bahía Camarones and Cabo Dos Bahías. This page refers to the year 1979. ... Decree is an order that has the force of law. ...

See also

Pair protecting its nest

• Punta Ninfas
• Península Valdés

Image File history File links Penguin couple garding the nests entrance at the Punta Tombo reservoir, Chubut, Argentina. ... Image File history File links Penguin couple garding the nests entrance at the Punta Tombo reservoir, Chubut, Argentina. ... Punta Ninfas (Spanish, “Nymphs Point”) is found in Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina. ... Peninsula Valdés, photo taken during shuttle mission STS-68 Peninsula Valdés is a peninsula along the Atlantic coast in Chubut Province, Argentina. ...

External links

• Destinations
• Patagonia.com.ar (Spanish)