Incubating Eggs
November 10, 2005
Dear Ray
Our adopted penguins have now finished egg-laying and have begun incubating their two eggs. Now that the penguins are incubating their eggs, it is safe for us to move about the colony with care, without the risk of causing the penguins to abandon their nest. Before egg-laying the penguins' response to danger is to run away, but after they have laid their eggs their response is to sit tight on the nest to protect the eggs.
This makes it possible for us to take pictures of your actual penguins, and I have pleasure in attaching your photos. I also attach a map of the colony, which is situated on Magdalena Island, about 35 kilometres north east of the city of Punta Arenas in southern Chile. You should be able to find this on any good world atlas or map of Chile. You can also find it on our web site at www.seabirds.org/magdalena.htm. More information about the Magdalena Island colony can be found on our web site at www.seabirds.org/study-chile.htm
Magdalena Island lies in the Straits of Magellan, which is of considerable historical importance, since it links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, making it possible for ships to avoid travelling around the notorious Cape Horn. This important short-cut from the Atlantic to the Pacific was discovered by the Portuguese sailor Hernan Magallanes in 1520, hence the name Straits of Magellan.
The entire length of the Straits of Magellan is marked by lighthouses, most of which were built in the late 1800s to help guide ships safely through the Straits. Magdalena Island itself has just such a lighthouse, which is still in operation to this day, and which is open to tourists (see photo). Two wardens live on the island all year round, protecting the penguins and keeping the lighthouse in order.
The entire Straits of Magellan are closed to commercial fishing vessels by a no-fishing zone. This allows the penguins of Magdalena Island to maintain a reliable food supply, which is the main reason for their high breeding success.
The Magdalena Island penguin colony is currently healthy and gradually increasing in size, thanks to the no-fishing zone, good management of tourism, and our constant monitoring, which in turn is thanks to your support of our penguin adoption programme. The penguin population on Magdalena Island has increased from 60,000 pairs to 70,000 pairs since our adoption programme began in 1999.
However penguins are constantly under threat. This month our Argentine study colony at Cabo Virgenes was hit by an oil spill from one of the many oil rigs which operate in the Straits of Magellan. An oil pipeline manifold broke, causing a 2 kilometre long oil slick. Fortunately strong winds blew the oil slick out to sea, away from the colony and away from the coastline, however some penguins foraging for food at the time have been oiled.
The oiled penguins made their way back to the beach, where we have been collecting them for cleaning. In all we have rescued about 30 oiled penguins. These penguins have been washed with "Magistral" (a dish-washing detergent), given oils and carbon tablets to clean their digestive tracts, and then housed and fed in large cages whilst their feathers gradually replace the natural oils needed to make their plumage water-proof. (Cleaning the crude oil from the feathers unfortunately removes the natural oil as well, which must return before the penguin can enter the water).
Fortunately none of our adopted penguins were affected by the oil, and we have been very lucky to have had so few penguins oiled by such a large spill. Had the wind conditions been different, we could have been looking at a tragedy.
The penguins will now incubate the eggs for 40 days before the chicks hatch. I will write to you again when that happens.
Best wishes
Mike
Krogoth's Nest
Lighthouse on Magdalena Island