Isla Chañaral is one of Chile’s most ecologically rich and visually stunning coastal islands, located just off the shores of the Atacama Region, near the small fishing village of Chañaral de Aceituno. It forms part of the Reserva Nacional Pingüino de Humboldt, a protected marine area named after the iconic Humboldt penguin, which thrives in these nutrient-rich waters.

The marine reserve is comprised of three islands: Isla Chañaral, Isla Choros and Isla Dama which have enjoyed protected status since 1990. The cold, nutrient-rich waters of the Humboldt current fuel massive blooms of phytoplankton here, resulting in an abundance of krill and small fish – creating a food chain supporting baleen whales such as the Fin Whale, Humpback Whale, Blue Whale and other cetaceans.