Today, we boarded an incredible sailing from the Strait of Magellan to the fjords and glaciers in Santa Inés Island, around 75 miles (120 km) to the southwest of Punta Arenas city. This place was recently named by decree as Kawésqar National Park (2.8 million ha), and it’s the second largest park in Chile, after Bernardo O’Higgins National Park (3.5 million ha).
The Kawésqar National Park incorporates the former Alacalufes Forest Reserve, combined with the lands’ donation from Tompkins Conservation (a nonprofit foundation dedicated to conserving the biodiversity of Chilean Patagonia), and fiscal lands that compose the current parks’ network in Chilean Patagonia.
During our trip, we could also visit part of the Francisco Coloane Marine and Coastal Protected Area (AMCP according to its Spanish initials), with a coastal edge of 67,000 hectares in the Strait of Magellan along with the Carlos III Island, Jerónimo Channel, and Bárbara Channel. This area has the first Marine Park created in Chile, in 2004, and is protected under the category of National Reserve.
Its incredible landscapes are composed of a group of islands, fjords, and channels; almost virgin marine ecosystems with incomparable beauty, and a great biodiversity of species, where the evergreen forest in Magallanes is distinguished between the Magellan’s beech, Guaitecas Cypress, Chilean firebush, and Canelos.
Concerning the fauna, the landscapes are an important feeding area for the humpback whale, which migrates each year from the warm waters of the Equator, their breeding area. Other mammals also stand out such as our South Andean deer, the Puma, the Wildcat, the Culpeo, and the Gray fox, among other diverse species of aquatic birds such as beautiful black-browed albatrosses, Petrels, and Skuas.
During the voyage, we connect with an exciting story about two great figures who sought domain and control overseas in the Magallanes region.
In 1577, Queen Elizabeth I of England named and bestowed the title of Privateer to the experienced English seaman Sir Francis Drake, who organized an expedition against the interests of the Kingdom of Spain in the South Pacific coasts and Patagonia.
In December of 1577, Drake set sail from the Plymouth port in England to make his way up to the Southern seas, on board the Pelican, accompanied by 4 ships and 164 men. At the end of August 1578, Drake arrived in the Strait of Magellan after losing all his vessels – excluding the Pelican – and many men in confrontations against Patagonian natives.
Along the way, he renamed his flagship as Golden Hind and while he passed through Chilean and Peruvian coasts he attacked several Spanish vessels in Valparaíso, Coquimbo, Arica, and Callao ports.
The Drake’s attacks on the American Pacific coasts caused considerable damage to Spaniards. Hence, the Viceroy of Peru, Francisco Álvarez de Toledo, provided two vessels, weapons, and a huge men’s complement commanded by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa to pursue and capture the English Privateer, who fled boldly from the Spanish siege all the time.
In 1579, the Viceroy ordered Sarmiento de Gamboa to explore the Strait of Magellan in search of suitable places to settle down the population and forts of artillery to close the route from the King of Spain Felipe II’s enemies.
During the exploration and search for the English Privateer, the recognized explorer, strategist, and humanist, Sarmiento de Gamboa, named the Santa Inés island on January 21, 1580, in honor of Saint Agnes (name passed to Spanish as Inés). Then, he was declared Governor and General Captain by Philip II of Spain over Magellanic territories at the end of 1580. A couple of years later, on March 25th, 1584, he founded Rey Don Felipe city, the first attempt to populate the Patagonia, located about 30 miles (60 km) south of Punta Arenas city, but it would be later known as Port Famine because a huge tragedy took place there, where 300 settlers died due to lack of foods and adverse sites of the unknown Patagonia.
For a long time, the glacier names of Santa Inés island didn’t find themselves in maps and the area’s cartography. However, they have been named Helado Glacier (Southside) and Sarmiento de Gamboa Glacier (Northside) by crew N.M. Forres, since 2015.
I thank and dedicate this article to a great friend and colleague, Francisco Martínez, guide of the Fitz Roy expedition (a Chilean company that offers a circuit across the Southern seas), who has always surprised me with his knowledge about the place’s history and great voyages throughout the time.
