Pingüino de Humboldt National Reserve
| Pingüino de Humboldt National Reserve | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
Humboldt penguins on Choros island, Pingüino de Humboldt National Reserve, Chile. | |
| Location | Coquimbo Region, Chile |
| Coordinates | 29°15′07″S 71°32′20″W / 29.252°S 71.539°W |
| Area | 8.59 km2 (3.32 sq mi) |
| Designation | National reserve |
| Designated | 1990 |
| Governing body | Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF) |
| Website | |
Pingüino de Humboldt National Reserve is a nature reserve located a short distance off the coast of mainland Chile. It consists of three islands: Chañaral, Damas, and Choros. It is located about 100 km (62 mi) north of La Serena in the Coquimbo Region of Chile and has a total area of 859.3 hectares (2,123 acres). Coastal communities of Caleta Chañaral, Chañaral de Aceituno, and Punta de Choros are nearby. The reserve is an important breeding site for the Humboldt penguin, for which it is named, and is a habitat for sea lions and bottlenose dolphins, chungungos (marine otters), sea turtle, whale, albatross and cormorant. Aside from dolphins, local cetacean diversity includes migratory rorquals such as blue, fin, and humpback whales, and sperm whales.