Francisco Coloane Coastal and Marine Protected Area, Marine protected area in Magellan Strait, Chile.

The Francisco Coloane Marine and Coastal Protected Area is Chile's first marine park, covering 1,506 hectares of sea and coast south of Isla Carlos III, between the islands of Santa Inés and Riesco and the Brunswick Peninsula. It lies where the Pacific and Atlantic meet, with strong winds, glaciers and a fragmented coastline.

The Chilean government created this marine protected area in 2003 to safeguard important feeding and breeding zones for sea animals. The decision aimed to protect the sensitive ecosystems of the Magellan region from harm.

The park is named after Francisco Coloane, the Chilean writer whose novels and stories are set in these southern waters and islands. The designation, made when the park was created, honours a body of work rooted in the Magellan region rather than any figure linked to the site's conservation.

To visit the area, you need permits and can book guided boat tours from October through March. These months offer the best conditions for observing marine life.

Scientists have documented and tracked nearly 200 individual humpback whales by recognizing each one through their unique tail fluke patterns. This long-term tracking helps researchers understand how these animals move seasonally in and out of the region.