ISLA

NOIR:

We will today arrange for you to take a scenic flight over Puerto Natales ,
Patagonia, Punta Arenas and Noir Island, where we are landing.

The sighting of Cape Noir was an integral part of Anson´s voyage, as they
realised they were way off course. As far as I can glean, they did not land on
the Island, but the over flight will enable you to see what the fleet spotted
from the ocean.
The expert who accompanies you will be able to tell you more about the
Drake Passage, the Islands and the route of admiral´s fleet trough this
infamous stretch of water.

Its coasts were crossed by the Kawésqar for more than 6000 years until the
middle of the 20th century. At the beginning of the 21st century, this town
had been practically extinguished by the action of the white man

At the end of the XVIII century, from the year 1788, whalers, English and
American sealers and hunters of seals began to arrive in the area and finally
the Chilotes

The island was registered in 1713 by a French hydrographic expedition.




Rockhopper penguin:

As one of the smallest type of penguins, on average they reach a length of 55
cm and a weight of 3.35 kg. They are easily recognisable by their yellow
feathers located at the level of their eyebrows.

There are 181.000 couples (more than double found ten years ago on the
island).

In its 15 km long and 3 wide lives the largest colony of the species that also
lives with Macaroni and Magallanes penguins during the breeding period.

Isla Noir also welcomes 15 thousand couples of Macaroni penguins, which
also remain between October and February, like the Rockhopper penguin.

We don´t know much about their migration routes. The most recent data
come from the Falkland Islands, where English researchers are placing
transitors on the back of penguins to follow them on their feeding trips. As
far as is known to date, its migration areas are very extensive, being able to
arrive from the Falklands to the coast of Tierra del Fuego, or to Puerto
Deseado, and still leave the waters of the platform to enter the east in the
Atlantic Ocean. At the beginning of October the males will return to the
breeding colonies. The females will do it about two weeks later.

The Magallanic penguins are closer to the beach, although there is no
estimate of how many.

There are wild berries and a type of seaweed. Geese and wild ducks abound.
On its coast, choros, limpets and sea urchins are obtained. Sea lions, otters,
dolphins and whales come to the Island.