Humpbacks first and penguins as a bonus on the Cape Froward cruise
The one whale trip on our site leaves Punta Arenas before dawn and spends about 12 hours on the road and at sea, out past Cape Froward to the humpbacks of the Francisco Coloane Marine Park. At ~$365 it is the priciest of our five tours, and it is a whale day first. Penguins may show up, or may not.
A 4:00 am start for a 12-hour day
Solo Expediciones' whales and glaciers cruise at ~$365 begins around 4:00 am at the company's office in central Punta Arenas. Solo also runs our top pick (the Magdalena speedboat) from the same check-in point two blocks from the main square.
A bus takes about an hour to a pier roughly 50 km (30 miles) south of the city. From there the boat sails for about an hour and a half past Cape Froward, the southernmost point of the American mainland.
Reviewers describe choppy water on the way out in the morning. Several advise taking a tablet before boarding. The usual advice on seasickness applies too, which means a light breakfast and time on deck if your stomach turns.
The day in order
- About 4:00 am, check-in at the Solo Expediciones office
- About an hour by bus to the pier south of the city
- About 1.5 hours sailing past Cape Froward to the marine park
- Hours in the park with the humpbacks, then the glacier
- About 3.5 hours back by boat, then the bus to town
Add the stages together and you are back in the city in the late afternoon, roughly 12 hours after check-in. The evening stays free, though after a 4:00 am alarm most people spend it asleep.
Humpbacks in the Francisco Coloane Marine Park
The goal is the Francisco Coloane Marine Park, a protected stretch of water where the boat spends hours looking for humpback whales. The operator builds the whole day around them, but like any wildlife trip it cannot promise a sighting.
Other animals may turn up, but nobody can plan them. Sei whales and sea lions come up in the listing and its reviews. So do Commerson's dolphins and Peale's dolphins, though none of them is promised on your date.
If sea lions are the main draw, there is a cheaper way to see them. The Magdalena speedboat circles Marta Island, where its listing counts over 1,000 sea lions, for well under half the price of the whale day.
Then a glacier, and the long sail home
After the whales the boat heads for a glacier, the second half of the tour's name. The return sail takes about 3.5 hours, and the bus back to the city adds another hour on top.
That is a lot of time on the water, which suits people who like a deck and a view and tires out those who do not. On a calm afternoon the ride home is a chance to doze; on a rough one it is the hardest stretch of the day.
Meals on board, and the people beside you
The fare includes breakfast and lunch plus a snack with coffee, which matters on a day that starts before any café in town opens. That puts the whale cruise ahead of the Tierra del Fuego tours, where every meal is your own affair.
Up to 80 people can be on board, more than on either Magdalena boat. Expect to share the rail when a whale surfaces, and move early if you want a clear view for photos.
No other tour on our site follows the whale route, so a smaller group is not an option here. For comparison, the two Magdalena boats take up to 60 and up to 50 people.
The scores are the strongest on our site, 4.8 from 300+ reviews on GetYourGuide and 4.8 from 280+ on Viator. Few tours here pair that many reviews with that rating.
For a long day at sea with the humpbacks
Solo Expediciones serves breakfast and lunch on board and starts at about 4:00 am. Pack a seasickness tablet for the morning swell and a warm layer for the deck.
Will you see penguins?
Maybe, and nobody should book this tour for them. Magellanic penguins appear among the possible sightings, but reviewers who went in March and April saw none, which fits the end of the breeding season on Magdalena.
If penguins are the point, the hour ashore on Magdalena Island puts you among tens of thousands of them for ~$160. Our season guide shows when that colony is at its fullest.
The whale cruise works best as a third day that follows the penguin boat and perhaps the king penguin trip to Tierra del Fuego. Our two-day plan fits the penguin days together and adds the whales for longer stays.
The price, and what can go wrong
At ~$365 this is more than twice the fare of a Magdalena boat. The meals soften that a little, and our price comparison sets it against the other four tours.
Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before departure, and GetYourGuide lets you reserve now and pay later. Weather can still move the day, so read what happens when the wind stops the boats and keep a spare day if you can.
Twelve hours on a cold sea calls for proper layers plus a hat and gloves. Our guide to dressing for the wind covers the kit for the deck.
- Good for travelers with three or more days in Punta Arenas
- Good for anyone who has seen penguins already and wants whales and ice
- Less good for light sleepers who dread a 4:00 am alarm
- Less good for anyone prone to seasickness on a long swell