Penguins on Magdalena Island or humpbacks off Cape Froward
The other big boat trip from Punta Arenas heads south instead of north-east, to the humpback whales of the Francisco Coloane Marine Park. It costs more than twice a Magdalena crossing and starts in the middle of the night. Below, what the whale day involves and when it makes sense instead of the penguins.
Two boats from the same town
Every Magdalena boat crosses a short stretch of the Strait of Magellan and brings you back by early afternoon. The whale cruise sails the other way, down the strait to waters where humpbacks feed, and takes the whole day.
Both are run from Punta Arenas, and Solo Expediciones operates the penguin speedboat as well as the whale trip. They answer different wishes, though. The whale day is no shortcut to the penguins.
Which one suits you depends mostly on the animal you came for. After that it comes down to how much of a day, and how much of a budget, you can give it.
A 4:00 am start and a long ride south
Solo Expediciones' whales and glaciers day at ~$365 lasts about 12 hours, and its Viator listing gives a 4:00 am start. A bus takes about an hour to a pier roughly 50 km (30 miles) south of the city.
From there the boat heads south past Cape Froward, the southernmost point of the American mainland. The mornings on this stretch can be choppy, so take seasickness tablets before boarding if you are prone to it.
Up to 80 people share the boat, a bigger group than on any Magdalena crossing. Breakfast and lunch are in the fare. A snack and coffee are too, so you need not pack food for the day.
The meeting details are on the booking page, so read them the evening before and set an alarm with time to spare. Lay out warm clothes and your camera before bed, since nobody thinks clearly at 3:30 am.
Hours with the humpbacks
The goal is the Francisco Coloane Marine Park, where humpback whales come to feed. The listing describes hours spent watching them rather than a single sighting on the way past.
Wildlife is never promised, and the whales set their own pace. Sei whales and sea lions are possible along the way. So are Commerson's dolphins and Peale's dolphins.
Binoculars help between sightings. A camera with a zoom also gives you more than a phone when a whale surfaces some way off the boat.
After the whales the boat visits a glacier, then begins the long ride back up the strait. You are back in Punta Arenas by evening, tired but well fed.
Penguins on the whale day
Magellanic penguins appear on the list of possible sightings, and the listing does not promise any. Reviewers who sailed late in the season saw none at all, so do not book the whale cruise to cover the penguins as well.
If penguins are the point of your visit, take a Magdalena boat. Solo Expediciones' speedboat trip from ~$160 lands you on the island for about an hour among the burrows, then circles Marta Island's sea lion colony on the way back.
A full day with the humpbacks
Solo Expediciones' whale cruise leaves before dawn and spends hours in the marine park, feeding you three times along the way. Choose it for whales and a glacier, not as a penguin trip.
What it costs, and the catch
| Whale cruise | Magdalena speedboat | |
|---|---|---|
| From (per person) | ~$365 | ~$160 |
| Length | About 12 hours | About 5 hours |
| Start | 4:00 am | 6:30 am |
| Group size | Up to 80 | Up to 60 |
| Food | Breakfast, lunch, snack | Coffee service |
| Penguins | Possible, not promised | The main event in season |
The whale day rates 4.8 from 300+ reviews on GetYourGuide and 4.8 from 200+ on Viator. Its weak points are the price, the hour you get up and the rough mornings. Our tour price guide sets it beside the other four trips.
Which one to choose
Choose the whale cruise if humpbacks are what you came south for, or if you have seen Magellanic penguins before. Some find the glacier and the empty channels of the far south as memorable as the whales themselves.
Choose Magdalena if you want penguins up close and the afternoon free, at a lower fare. Families with small children will find the half-day boats far easier than a 4:00 am start and 12 hours away.
Budget plays a part as well. The whale day at ~$365 costs more than twice the ~$160 Magdalena speedboat, though meals are in the fare, which narrows the gap a little.
The penguin boats run roughly from October to March, while the colony is home, and our season guide covers which weeks bring chicks. Check the whale listing's own dates before you plan around it.
Fitting both into a stay
With two or three days in town, both trips fit. Book the Magdalena boat early in your stay, because the wind can cancel a crossing and a later day gives you room to rebook.
Doing the penguins first also gives you a feel for the strait before the longer day at sea. If the Magdalena crossing felt rough, take the seasickness tablets seriously on the whale boat.
Leave the whale cruise for a day when you can go to bed early the night before. Our page on wind and cancelled crossings explains the fallback options. The speedboat and catamaran comparison then helps you pick the penguin boat.
On both trips the cold on deck catches people out. Warm layers under a windproof shell, plus gloves, help on the whale boat as much as on the island hill.