Los Pingüinos Natural Monument, Nature reserve on Magdalena Island, Punta Arenas, Chile

Los Pingüinos Natural Monument is a 97-hectare protected area in the Strait of Magellan, comprising Magdalena Island (85 ha) and Marta Island (12 ha). Magdalena, the larger island, has rocky shores and short grass where an estimated 60,000 breeding pairs of Magellanic penguins nest. Marta is smaller and rarely visited.

The reserve was established in 1966 to protect penguin populations from fishing pressures in the Strait of Magellan. This action came after people realized the birds needed dedicated protection from human activity in the region.

The islands' names, Magdalena and Marta, were given by the 16th-century Spanish explorer Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, replacing earlier names used by Spanish ships and pirates. Before the 16th century the Selkʼnam, Yaghan and Kawésqar lived here, spending much of their time fishing at sea rather than on land.

Access is available between October and March through boat tours departing from Punta Arenas, when weather permits safe crossings. Wind and rough seas can affect schedules, so building flexibility into your plans helps avoid disappointment.

Magdalena Island is running out of space: between 2000 and 2007 the penguin population grew by 6%, and some birds have moved to a nearby island to nest. A drought in the summer before 2002–03 killed much of the island's grass, and the resulting dust storms destroyed nests.