Chañaral Island facts for kids
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Native name:
Isla Chañaral
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| Geography | |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Pacific ocean |
| Area | 6.55 km2 (2.53 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Region | Atacama Region |
| Provinces of Chile | Huasco Province |
| Communes of Chile | Freirina |
Isla Chañaral, also known as Chañaral Island, is a special island located about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) off the coast of northern Chile. It's about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the city of La Serena. This island is an important part of the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve, along with two other islands called Isla Choros and Isla Damas. The Chilean Forestry Corporation helps manage this reserve.
Contents
Discovering Chañaral Island
Isla Chañaral is the largest island within the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve. To protect its unique wildlife, you need a special permit to visit the island. This helps keep the animals safe and their homes undisturbed.
Home to Amazing Animals
The Humboldt Penguin National Reserve is a safe home for many rare and endangered animals. You can find Humboldt penguins here, which are a type of penguin unique to this part of the world. Other special birds like the Peruvian diving petrel also live on the island. You might also spot the South American marine otter, a playful animal that lives near the coast.
In the summer months, the waters around the reserve become a busy feeding ground for different marine mammals. You can see huge fin whales, blue whales, and humpback whales swimming and feeding. Bottlenose dolphins also live in these waters, often seen playing and jumping.
Protecting Nature and Tourists
In recent years, more and more tourists have wanted to visit the reserve, especially to see the whales. To make sure this tourism is good for both people and animals, local fishermen have teamed up with the National Tourism Service, Sernatur. They work together to offer whale watching tours in a responsible way. This means they follow rules to keep the whales safe and undisturbed during visits.
Exploring the Island's Landscape
Isla Chañaral has an interesting shape with two main levels. The main part of the island is a plateau that sits between 50 and 70 meters (164 to 230 feet) above sea level. This area is split into a western and an eastern side. There's also a second, higher plateau that rises over 100 meters (328 feet).
The plants on these different plateaus are quite different. The main plateau has lots of shrubs and cacti. However, the higher plateau looks much barer, with only a few small groups of cacti.
See also
In Spanish: Isla Chañaral para niños
