Punta Tombo

Punta Tombo is a reserve of fauna on the Atlantic coast of the province of Chubut, in Republic Argentine, and one of the principal continental colonies of reproduction of the Manchot of Magellan (Spheniscus Magallanes), located at 100 km in the south of the mouth of Río Chubut, where the towns of Rawson and Trelew are.

Tourist interest

In the decade 1960 began management from the place as a natural reserve, and starting from 1979, the government of Chubut indicated it " Área natural protegida" (Protected natural Surface), controlling its access and establishing a permanent service of guards. According to the data of the Secretariat to Tourism of Chubut, the entry of the visitors shows an important year evolution by year, since an average of 30.000 tourists in the decade 1990 until roughly 65.000 in 2005. Among them, 50% are of foreign origin. The season extends from September to April, time during which the birds arrive on the coast for nidifier and to protect their small.

Physical characteristics

Punta Tombo is narrow a 3 km length rock fringe for 600 m broad which penetrates in the Atlantic Ocean. This marked rock course is due to the existence of an outcrop of crystalline rock, of prejurassic origin, which resisted marine erosion. On this substrate one finds vast fine but compacted sand zones, which constitutes an ideal ground so that the penguins can dig their nest. Vast zones of the ground are literally undermined cavities low depth, where the penguins deposit each year their eggs and raise their chicks.

The soft slope of these beaches, facilitates much the terrestrial displacement of the birds, which several times per day carry out the way between their nest and the sea to feed there. The penguins, although put in alarm by the human presence, panic by no means and do not give up their nests, from where the interaction man bird is very direct.

To avoid the accidents and injuries with the animals, since the creation of the reserve, one built footbridges which make it possible to the visitors to circulate without being likely to cause the collapse of the cavities to their passage.

Period of reproduction

The male penguins arrive on the beach at the end of August and recondition the same nest (cavities) which used the year family after year. At the beginning of October, the females make a laying of two eggs, which they brood during forty days. For this period the couple takes turns to feed and supervise the nest. Any carelessness is used by Goéland S ( gaviotas ) and other birds to feed at the expense of eggs. At the end of April, the chicks learned how to swim and to feed by themselves, and undertake with their parents their annual tour in the South Atlantic.

Avifauna

With some variations according to the season, one entered in Punta Tombo the presence of more than 1.000.000 of specimens of Penguins of Magellan, which makes reserve the largest colony (in Spanish will pingüinera ) continental of this species. Other species of birds also nidifient in these places. Let us quote the Goéland cook ( gaviota will cocinera ), the gray or southern seagull, the Stercoraire S ( stercorarius antarcticus and chilensis ), the royal Cormoran and the cormorant with black neck, the Canard S vapor, and the oyster or '' ostreros '' (in fact haematopus leucopodus ). The reserve is also visited by the antarctic Colombe S, the Pétrel S and the larosterna INCA or '' gaviotínes ''.

Anthropological reference

On the hills which overhang the places, one found the remainders of an old cemetery Tehuelche. The people originating in the region knew obviously the places since highest antiquity, and used it as seasonal habitat in their usual courses through the steppe of Patagonie.

International studies

Since the year 1982, the operation and the soutenability of the reserve are studied, inter alia, by the Zoological Company of New York and Wildlife Conservation Society.

References

External bonds

penguins Project of Magellan
Chart of photographic situation
Gallery

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