Valparaiso Region Wildlife: Humboldt Penguins, Sea Lions, and Pacific Seabirds
The cold Humboldt Current upwelling that defines the ecology of the Chilean Pacific coast creates some of the most productive marine waters in the world, supporting enormous seabird colonies, Humboldt penguin breeding populations, and sea lion rookeries within accessible distance of Valparaiso.
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Punta de Choros: The Penguin and Dolphin Reserve
The Punta de Choros marine reserve north of La Serena, accessible as an overnight excursion from Valparaiso, protects one of the most important Humboldt penguin breeding colonies in Chile alongside sea lion colonies and the bottle-nosed dolphin population that frequents the kelp beds of the reserve. Zodiac boat tours navigate among the islands of the reserve without disturbing the wildlife.
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Algarrobo Sea Lion Colony: Pacific Pinnipeds Near Valparaiso
The sea lion colony at Algarrobo, approximately 50 kilometers south of Valparaiso, is the most accessible large pinniped colony near the city and provides reliable close-range observation of South American sea lions hauled out on the rocks; the colony is visible from the shore and from boat excursions that operate from the Algarrobo harbor.
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Pacific Seabirds: Peruvian Pelican, Guanay Cormorant, and Humboldt Penguin
The coastal waters of central Chile support enormous concentrations of fish-eating seabirds including the Peruvian pelican, larger than the familiar brown pelican of North America; the Guanay cormorant, which historically produced the guano deposits that were mined as fertilizer along the Chilean and Peruvian coast; and the Humboldt penguin, whose population along the Chilean coast is one of the northernmost penguin populations in the world.
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Whale Watching: Blue Whales in the Humboldt Current
The Humboldt Current upwelling off the Chilean coast supports some of the highest concentrations of blue whales in the world, attracted by the krill blooms that the upwelling generates; whale watching excursions from Chilean ports including those north of Valparaiso operate seasonally when the blue whales are most concentrated. Chile has one of the largest blue whale populations in the southern hemisphere.
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The Atacama Desert Coast: Flamingos and Desert Wildlife Near La Serena
La Serena, 470 kilometers north of Valparaiso at the southern edge of the Atacama Desert, is the gateway to the flamingo lagoons of the Atacama and the astronomical observatories of the clear-sky desert interior. Day excursions from La Serena to the Reserva Nacional Pingüino de Humboldt and the flamingo lagoons of the Elqui Valley combine two of the most distinctive wildlife experiences of the central Chilean coast.
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The Casablanca Valley Biodiversity: Raptors and Vineyard Birds
The Casablanca Valley between Valparaiso and Santiago supports a diverse raptor community including the variable hawk, the white-tailed kite, and the chimango caracara alongside the vineyard birds that have adapted to the agricultural landscape of the wine region. The Andean condor is occasionally observed soaring over the coastal range above the valley, providing a dramatic raptor sighting in an unexpected wine country context.