Landau 24th of November 2024

Since the end of 2021, researchers Dr. Alejandro Simeone (1), Guillermo Luna-Jorquera (2), Dr. Ursula Ellenberg (3) and Dr. Thomas Mattern (4) have been studying the population, breeding success and foraging of Humboldt penguins in Chile on behalf of Sphenisco.

Landau August 23, 2024 – Since August 12 the second season of the weekly video podcast “Sintonía Humboldt” has been running. The way the podcast is distributed has changed with its relaunch. It is now broadcast via Sintonía Humboldt channels on YouTube, Facebook and Spotify, municipal digital media in the communities of La Higuera (El Comunal), La Serena (El Serenense) and Coquimbo (El Coquimbano) as well as the channels of cooperating organizations such as Sphenisco Chile, Defensa Ambiental Región de Coquimbo, Alianza Humboldt Coquimbo-Atacama and Red Comunales. Furthermore, the 2nd season is also sponsored by Bergzoo Halle and Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen, Netherlands.

Santiago, Landau 5th August 2024

Preliminary note

On July 26, Chilean Environment Minister Maisa Rojas presented the National Plan for the Conservation of the Humboldt Penguin (RECOGE Plan) (1) to a very exclusive audience on the island of Cachagua. Present at the presentation were CONAF (National Forestry Agency, also responsible for protected areas) and Sernapesca (Chilean Fisheries Agency), the main partners in the development of the plan, as well as the scientist and researcher Alejandro Simeone (2) and NGOs such as Oikonos, Island Conservation and Sphenisco, represented by Nancy Duman, Senator Ricardo Lagos Weber and local authorities. 

La Serena, Landau 9 August 2024

Every beginning has its own magic (1). On 31 July, the jury announced the winners of the literary competition ‘The Humboldt Archipelago in 110 Words’. The competition was organised by Sphenisco and Defensa Ambiental Region Coquimbo for 3 groups of children, young people and adults and was sponsored by Rostock Zoo, Germany. At the announcement in the former home of Gabriela Mistral (2) in La Serena, there were many ‘beginnings’ and a very special, magical atmosphere unfolded.

La Serena, Landau April 25, 2024: 

Just in time for the World Penguin Day on April 25, Sphenisco-chile in La Serena launched the “Humboldt Penguin - Symbolic Bird of the Humboldt Current” campaign. Since the beginning of April Sphenisco employees have been promoting the protection of the globally significant ecosystem as well as a sustainable management plan for the agreed-upon marine protection zone by utilizing the literary competition “The Humboldt Archipelago in 110 Words” and the radio talk show “Sintonia“ in an unusual way.

Landau 8th April 2024. Conservationists and scientists have been fighting for the "Humboldt Archipelago Marine Protected Area" for more than 20 years. It was adopted by the Chilean government last year and declared in the official gazette at the end of November. 

Paracas, December 11, 2023. In the last two years, intensive research has been carried out on the Humboldt penguin on behalf of Sphenisco. The  group led by Dr. Alejandro Simeone, University Andrés Bello, Santiago, carried out population counts on the most important Chilean breeding islands, another group led by Dr. Guillermo Luna, University of Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, monitored breeding success on the islands of Choros and Chañaral. In addition, the group led by Dr Thomas Mattern and Dr Ursula Ellenberg, NZ Penguin Initiative, University of Otago, Dunedin, investigated foraging. The extensive research project was funded by the Karlsruhe Zoo Species Conservation Foundation, Dresden Zoo and the Association of Friends of Hagenbeck Zoo e.V. (see "Projects Chile" June 4, 2021, November 28, 2021, April 18, 2022, July 22, 2022, July 23, 2023, January 1, 2023, July 9, 2023 and November 21, 2023 on these pages).

La Serena December 5, 2023 

The care for injured and sick wild animals is a problem in Chile, too. For their rehabiliation there is no sustainable infrastructure as well as no financial arrangement. Sernapesca (fisheries authority) is in charge of the recovery of injured and sick marine animals, but not for their care. There used to be a rescue center for animals including marine animals at the "Museum of Natural History and History" in San Antonio, Central Region. José Brito and his staff performed good and dedicated work there for many years. Sphenisco has supported the work again and again, for example by purchasing medicines. This rescue center was closed some time ago, the reasons are not known to Sphenisco.

La Serena 30th November 2023. On August 11, the Boric government's Council of Ministers for Sustainability approved the "Humboldt Archipelago Marine Protected Area". This week, the declaration of the "conservation zone with different uses" was published in the official gazette. A management plan for the protection zone can and must now be drawn up within a legally prescribed period of two years. This is the responsibility of the Ministry of the Environment, represented by the Undersecretaries for the Environment, Natalia Penroz for the Atacama region and Leonardo Gros for the Coquimbo region.