An outbreak of avian flu in 2023 hammered a colony of southern elephant seals in Chile’s Tierra del Fuego region, leading to a 50% decline in its population.
But over the 2024-2025 breeding season, the colony’s population recovered, with 33 pups being born.
An alliance between the Chilean branch of the Wildlife Conservation Society and the regional environmental department has been monitoring this particular colony for years, braving the remoteness and extreme weather at the southern tip of the Americas.
Experts posit that the site, Jackson Bay, may serve as a natural refuge from the avian flu because it’s geographically isolated as a fjord.
Year after year, a colony of elephant seals arrives in Jackson Bay, on the islands of Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of Chile, to molt and breed. However, in 2023, an outbreak of avian flu devastated the region, and the colony’s population dropped by half.
In 2020, when avian flu caused devastating losses in seabird colonies in Europe and Southern Africa, experts initially thought the virus’s spread to mammals would be limited to terrestrial carnivores. However, during the outbreak in 2021 and 2022, the virus affected seals and whales in both Europe and North America. In 2023, when the virus arrived on the South American coast, the pathogen showed that it was capable of causing large-scale mortality among marine mammals. The southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) was one of the most heavily impacted species.
But good news arrived in April 2025, when researchers found that the elephant seal population in Jackson Bay had doubled to 200 individuals, including 33 pups.
“It is great news for the conservation of the species, because Jackson [Bay], by being in inland waters of fjords and canals, may act as a protective barrier against pandemics,” says Cristóbal Arredondo, a veterinarian and terrestrial program coordinator for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Chile,. Since 2008, WCS Chile has monitored this colony alongside the environmental department of the Magallanes region, which encompasses Tierra del Fuego.
Elephant seals in Jackson Bay. Image courtesy of Francisco Brañas.
A refuge from the virus
Jackson Bay is home to “the largest elephant seal colony in Chile,” according to Javiera Constanzo, a veterinarian and the One Health approach manager for WCS Chile. The bay is located between two protected areas: the Multiple Use Marine and Coastal Protected Area Seno Almirantazgo, or Admiralty Sound, which is administered by the Ministry of the Environment, and Karukinka Natural Park, which is a private conservation initiative administered by WCS Chile.
Karukinka Natural Park is a vast natural refuge that spans approximately 300,000 hectares (741,000 acres) of diverse ecosystems. Admiralty Sound, which surrounds the coasts of Karukinka, receives freshwater from several glaciers in the Cordillera Darwin, an ice-capped mountain range. Since Admiralty Sound is a large fjord — a deep, narrow valley with glacial origins that has been filled with seawater — it’s mix of freshwater and saltwater makes it highly productive. And as a government-protected area, Admiralty Sound is vital for the elephant seal population, Constanzo says, by prohibiting activities that could affect the species.
Above all, Jackson Bay’s isolation might make it a refuge for the colony of elephant seals. This hypothesis is still being studied, but “what is being observed is very positive for the conservation of the species,” Constanzo says.
During the most recent season, 33 pups were born. Image courtesy of WCS.
Successful monitoring after 2023 avian flu
Data from satellite transmitters show that some of the Jackson Bay elephant seals stay put while others migrate from different places, coming from the Pacific Ocean or traveling in the Atlantic until they reach the Valdés Peninsula in the central Argentine Patagonia.
In 2023, during the highly pathogenic avian flu outbreak, there was a mass die-off of elephant seals in Argentina: according to a study published in Nature Communications, approximately 17,000 of the animals died.
At Jackson Bay, researchers recorded only about 100 individuals in the colony that year, less than half of the number recorded in prior years.
“We eagerly hoped that in the following season, the colony’s numbers would recover,” Arredondo says. And they did. The 2024-2025 season resolved any doubt: 200 elephant seals were seen in Jackson Bay in December, which is the month when the colony’s population normally peaks. Researchers also recorded the births of more than 30 elephant seal pups, the same number as recorded in 2023.
Researchers from WCS Chile and the Magallanes regional department of the environment in Jackson Bay. Image courtesy of Francisco Brañas.
The colony in Jackson Bay has “now recovered its numbers after the avian flu,” Constanzo says.
Experts attribute the rapid reestablishment of the elephant seal colony in Jackson Bay to several factors. For one, its location in the inland waters of fjords and canals, far from other affected colonies, may have served as a natural barrier against avian flu, reducing the risk of contagion.
The researchers suggest that elephant seals that contracted the highly pathogenic avian flu virus may not have managed to return to Jackson Bay, likely dying before reaching their destination.
About 200 elephant seals were seen in Jackson Bay in December 2024. Image courtesy of WCS.
Monitoring in an extreme area
Wind speeds in Jackson Bay can hit up to 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour), presenting significant challenges for researchers as they disembark. However, this didn’t stop marine biologist Marina Maritza Sepúlveda from traveling to Jackson Bay in 2023 with a team of Chilean and British scientists. They fitted satellite transmitters on several elephant seals arriving in Jackson Bay, part of an ongoing project that WCS Chile is supporting.
Sepúlveda says the transmitters help scientists track the colony as it travels along the Cape Horn Current, one of the “least-studied and [least-]known currents in Chile,” and one that is “extremely important to understand.”
WCS Chile has also joined the team to monitor the colony of elephant seals. Given the high logistical cost of reaching the area, every opportunity to collect data is taken advantage of.
“The opportunity to have the animals there lets us maximize the chance to gather valuable scientific data,” Sepúlveda says. For example, veterinarians like Arredondo and Constanzo collect nasal and anal swabs to study the elephant seals’ microbiome, including their bacteria and virus loads.
Jackson Bay is located in an area where wind speeds can hit up to 120 km/h. Image courtesy of WCS.
The researchers also gather data by using an ultrasound to measure the elephant seals’ fat layers, which allows for an assessment of their body condition. They extract whiskers and fur samples to analyze the seals’ trophic ecology and check for the presence of heavy metals, and they collect droppings to test for parasites.
During the most recent season, researchers also collected samples to confirm the presence of avian flu in the colony. Those samples are now being processed.
“Teamwork allows us to optimize resources, share knowledge and ensure the collection of valuable data that contribute to the understanding and conservation of this colony of elephant seals,” Arredondo says.
Researchers have been monitoring the elephant seal colony in Jackson Bay as a long-term project for more than 16 years.
Every year between October and April, a small team hikes across the entire beach and coastal area. During these inspections, the researchers categorize the elephant seals by age and sex, which helps them understand the population composition of the colony. However, depending on a seal’s position on the ground, some individuals can’t be identified; in those cases, scientists put them into the “sex not determined” category, Constanzo says.
Every year between October and April, a small team of researchers travels across the entire beach and coastal area to gather information about elephant seals. Image courtesy of WCS.
Elephant seals spend most of their lives in the water and only travel onto land to breed and molt, in a process that takes about one month. During this time, they don’t enter the water for food. This means that any change that increases their energy consumption is a problem, according to Arredondo. That’s why the researchers ensure they maintain a safe distance from the seals that “does not disrupt” their behavior.
In addition to counting elephant seals in person, they also used drones to map the area. These help researchers collect detailed images of the locations of the elephant seals.
Francisco Brañas, an expert with the protected areas unit of the regional environmental department, says processing these images can allow researchers to obtain additional information, such as individual measurements. Researchers can estimate the elephant seals’ body weight and evaluate their physical condition to determine whether they have sufficient food, according to Brañas.
“The images captured by the drones provide us with a more complete and precise view of the colony,” he says.
Regular monitoring has been key to evaluating the recovery of the colony, which was first described in 2006. That year, 46 individuals were recorded. Since then, the numbers have grown overall.
The striking increase in the elephant seal population in Jackson Bay is not only a testament to the species’ resilience, but it also reflects the collaborative efforts that are crucial to carrying out this monitoring work in a remote and extreme-weather area.
Elephant seals spend most of their lives in the water and only travel onto land to breed and molt. Image courtesy of Pablo Lloncón.
Banner image of an elephant seal in Jackson Bay, courtesy of Francisco Brañas.
This story was first published here in Spanish on May 1, 2025.
The closing ceremony of “EMUSH 2025” [International Muralists Meeting in Ushuaia] took place in the Niní Marshall Hall of the House of Culture. The eleven participating artists added their works to the more than 350 murals currently found in the city.
The Secretariat of Culture and Education of the Municipality of Ushuaia organized the closing ceremony of the 6th International Muralists Meeting at the End of the World “EMUSH 2025,” held in the Niní Marshall Hall of the House of Culture.
During the event, which was attended by the city’s mayor, Walter Vuoto, the works created by the 11 selected artists were showcased, and each of them received a certificate of participation in the Meeting.
On this occasion, the works of Antonela Gualla and Rodrigo Crespo from Ushuaia, Enrique Jorge Bernard and Sofía Hst from Río Grande, Julia Anahí Tiscornia from Río Negro, Adrián Cola and Martín Agazzi from Buenos Aires, Agustina Cantoni from San Juan, Soledad Moisas from Ayacucho, Lucas Artola from La Plata, as well as guest artist Sebastián Daels, were presented, alongside participants including muralists and artists from the city, graduates of the Polivalente de Arte, and Agustín, a young person with a disability who specializes in watercolor and accompanied the work at various locations throughout the city.
“We are proud to share this closing ceremony with the community, continuing this great challenge of an integrated public cultural policy entrusted to us by Mayor Walter Vuoto,” said Ushuaia’s Secretary of Culture and Education, Belén Molina, who confirmed that “Emush now has 60 artistic interventions to its credit, depicting aspects of our identity on our walls.”
The official thanked “all those who made this new edition of Emush possible, the artists and residents who donated their walls, the participants who collaborated and supported the process, as well as Ushuaia’s ambassador and ambassadress, María José Pazos and Omar Lemul, who supported the process throughout.”
The president of the Commission 3 of the Provincial Parliament, Legislator Laura Colazo, conducted a meeting with the indigenous people communities. This is an initiative from the Green deputy to include them in the decision making within the Consultative Commission of the Indigenous Forests (CCIF). « We have the opportunity to acknowledge and make the autochthonous people of our Province visible who have lived and still live on these lands and offer a historical rectification, she declared. She also mentioned the necessity to expand the energetic matrix of the province to support a sustainable production process.
Source: https://www.radiouniversidad.com.ar/2024/08/26/dictamen-para-que-pueblos-originarios-participen-en-el-consejo-consultivo-provincial-de-bosques-nativos/ Translated from Spanish into French by the Karukinka association.
Río Grande. Last Thursday, Legislator María Laura Colazo (Green Party) attended a new meeting of the Natural Resources Commission n°3, which she presided. This was the occasion to discuss her initiative dedicated to “The 109/24 Case” with the aim of promoting the permanent integration of the representatives of the autochthonous people to the Consultative Commission of the Indigenous Forests (CCIF).
To this motive, the Parliamentary appreciated the attendance of the members of the communities: Rafaela Ishton and Paiakoala. “We have the opportunity to acknowledge and make the autochthonous people of our province visible who have lived and still live on these lands, and to offer a historical rectification”, declared Colazo.
The Parliamentary also underlined the utmost importance of the Selk’nam and Yagán people’s voices being part of the CCIF and that they have their place in this consultative body. “This is why we invited them, we wanted to have their support.”
She also added that this way they are “integrated” into the territorial discussion and planning processes. The Selk’nam people is the only autochthonous people who own their community propriety title”, she added.
It’s worth noting that the initiative includes amendments to provincial law n°869. In Article 14 of the aforementioned standard, the paragraph “q” is added, which specifies the integration of a representative for each indigenous community from the province with a legal status registered on national level.
Eleonora Anderson Varela, herself, from Rafaela Ishton’s community was thankful for this space: « We are delighted to have a place at the CCIF, this is a historical event for us. The community owns approximately 36000 hectares of which 80% are made of forests”, she declared.
Another member of the community, Alexis González Palma, told them “It is very important for us because they are giving us back our dignity and the possibility to tackle issues which affect us as autochthonous people of these lands”, he declared.
It’s worth noting that Tarcisio Vargas and Damián Nenes Vargas, from the Yagán people, also attended the Commission meeting as representatives of the Paiakoala community.
« Today, the autochthonous people are beginning to be respected. Taking care of our forests is good not only for the communities but also for the totality of the population. We risk losing the canelo and need to take care of it together”, declared Vargas, a Yagán referent.
Legislatofs Raúl Von Der Ensuren and Lechman (SF), Juan Carlos Pino (PJ), Federico Greve and Federico Sciurano (FORJA), as well as Legislatir Gisela Dos Santos (SF) were present.
Two million dollars for the Native Forests
It’s worth noting that Legislator María Laura Colazo attended the second annual meeting of the Consultative Commission of the Indigenous Forests of which she is a member, and which was held at Tolhuin Tourism Secretary beginning of August.
On that occasion, the working paths which will be followed were analysed, after it was learnt that the “Green fund for the climate» programme, which will be run through United Nations Organisation for food and agriculture (FAO), and rising from an initiative led by the national government and the province and called Reduction of the Emissions related to the Deforestation and Degradation of the forests (REDD).
The programme comes to the Land of Fire with a component which will be dedicated to the forest conservation work with the autochthonous communities, among which the global community Plan with Rafaela Ishton’s Selk’nam community and also at the productive development of the forestry bay of Tolhuin; the other component will also be used for the prevention of wood fire at the interface of Ushuaia. It’s worth noting that, according to the programme of fire prevention at the forest-urban area interface, we mean by fire a “fire which grows in the transition areas between the urban, rural or forestry areas where the structures of the buildings are mingled with the plants».
Approximately two million dollars will be allocated to the Land of Fire province “and the project in general, as mentioned by Engineer Francisco Jofré who is FAO’s representative which is in the province, is approximately 85 million dollars for the totality of the country in this programme called RedMás, a specific programme also related to the climatic change.
Members of the Forest National Board of Management and the FAO for the Payments at Results project attended the meeting, as well as managers of the provincial government and representatives of the institutions forming the CCIF.
It’s worth noting that the United Nations Organisation for the food and agriculture better known as FAO and a specialised agency of UNO leading international activities which aims at eradicating hunger.
The organisation is conducting several projects implemented all around the country. It plays a fundamental role in striving towards food safety, family farming reinforcement, transformation of food-processing systems and sustainable development.
“A lot of families live off the forestry sector”
During a talk with “La Mañana de Tecno”, broadcast on Radio Universidad 93,5 MHz, the Green Parliamentary reminded that the forestry consultative commission “is taking place under the 869 provincial law and is a environment composed of various actors” who are related to everything concerning the use of the whole forestry sector, what is active in our province. So, as a representative of the legislative Assembly, I have to be part of this space.”
Laura Colazo explained that « the members of FAO, an international organisation under the United Nations, benefit from specific financing programmes used to manage several projects in our country. And in this project which is very important and in the making in 23 provinces : we are working on those 3 issues in our province, which are the ones we talked about within the commission in order to grant approval to all the members to make progress in this area, while being able to follow through the community integration plans that the Forestry General Board of Directors works very well with the Selk’nam persons who have set up their authorities very recently, who have held elections. And the truth is that they have very interesting projects to be accomplished in our province, particularly in their community propriety, which represents 35 000 hectares owned in the Tolhuín region. And it is very important to achieve sustainable use, and the truth is that we think it is also important to assist them because it requires means to fulfil these projects.”
« For us, it’s very interesting to provide some assistance, everything needs to be done step by step. The technical advice mission will be carried out by means of organisations such as CIEFAP (Andine centre for the forestry research and vulgarisation of Patagonia), an organisation which has also been working in our province for many years and will provide all the technical advice, so it also seems important to do this. When I say that Tolhuin’s mayor (Daniel Harrington) is present in the area, it’s because it comes down to stimulate the productive development of this sector so that it keeps on generating work sources such as in Tolhuin today.
With regard to this, Legislator Laura Colazo noticed that “a lot of the families live off work in the forestry sector and it seems important to add on value, to be able to create training, to be able to use all these resources in a sustainable way and all the way through the production line, not only in raw wood but also in the use of forestry residues.
She understood that “there is a great opportunity to create more productive companies, to generate more work while taking care of the environment, because we are talking here of forestry residues which, in some cases are burnt and could generate a transformable product, raw material” then able to generate new products which “ can be part of the circular economy paradigm, by salvaging them and reintroducing them into the productive sector».
« Productive matrix and energetic matrix go hand in hand»
The Green Parliamentary understood that “we need to concentrate on the economy laid out by the forestry sector; It is not about generating a product in a linear way where the waste goes to the kip, but it’s rather about considering this waste as a resource and send it back as raw material so that new competitive products are generated into the market sector and creating work».
When asked about the energetic deficit held by Tolhuin to support an industrial process, she recalled that « by the end of 2022, we voted to grant the province the right to access a credit authorized the ACD, the Andine Confederation of Development, and by means of other funds that the province may obtain. Already in 2002, we noticed the necessity to invest in the totality of energetic matrix expansion of the Land of Fire. A few days ago, we learnt that the national government’s approval was under way, to set up credits and invest in equipment. I think this is fundamental for the development and particularly to think about the energetic transition that our province must implement. Today, we are providing gas supply. Gas is a transitional fuel. And all the resources generated by licence fees, as this province is one of first to produced gas from Argentina, these resources generated from the licence fees can be used to develop a new energetic matrix largely fed by renewable energies. And this financing project, which we approved in 2022 at the Legislature, is now going forward with the Nation’s approval and demonstrates all this a little.
“It’s a core issue: if we want to talk about expanding the productive matrix, it must go hand in hand with expanding the province energetic matrix”, she finally declared.
As you may have noticed, the internship programme for the 2024-2025 season is online. Featuring coastal and offshore navigations north and south, there is something for everyone!
Milagro is currently in Ireland and Scotland for coastal internships departing from Dublin until mid-September, then it will be time for the offshore navigations with two return trips between Dublin and the Loire-Atlantique in September and Octobre, before taking course south towards Patagonia, the end of the world to which Karukinka has been dedicated since its beginning.
Karukinka means Land of Fire in Selk’nam, a tribe living between south of Magellan Strait and Beagle canal. Some work indicate it would also mean “the last land of men” which, in the history of migrations, takes its full meaning since it is the last land reached by foot in all the history of human migrations.
So, this year we will go back to the canals of Patagonia of the biosphere reserve of the Cape Horn, in order to complement Lauriane’s work under the “Cape North – Cap Horn” project that started in 2022. We also propose four 18-day sailing internships departing from Ushuaia or Puerto Williams between February and April 2025 to explore together these islands, fjords, mountains and glaciers as beautiful as they are fascinating.
And before that, between October 2024 and January 2025, we are proposing a series of offshore internships during the +7000 nm composing this trip, with beautiful upcoming stopovers: Brittany – the Canaries (14 days), the Canaries – Cabo Verde (9 days), Cabo Verde – Brazil Transatlantic (20 days), Brazil – Argentina (15 days) and Buenos Aires – Land of Fire (21 days).
For the last few weeks, you now have the possibility to book our internships directly online using the HelloAsso platform, all the dates are indicated on the internship pages, with a summary of the prices and terms & conditions in the “Booking request” tab. Should you have any question, you can also reach us by email (contact@karukinka.eu), telephone and WhatsApp (+33 6 72 83 03 94).
We look forward to sailing together “here”, “there”, or “over there”: we always count on you to keep spreading the word and quench your thirst of adventure so that we keep on building such great teams on board!
Damien
PS: we plan on careening the Milagro at La Turballe the second half of September: anyone who is up to spending elbow grease to come and help us, will be welcome!
If you plan to go stop at La Rochelle this summer, don’t miss this trip to the end of the world! This sound and immersive fiction was created by Sébastien Laurier in collaboration with the Phare du bout du monde (Lighthouse of the end of the world) association and the town of La Rochelle: for one hour, you are transported into the far south of Patagonia, from the post-office of the tip of the Minimes harbour.
Several members of the Karukinka association took part in this project, among whom Mirtha Salamanca (Selk’nam woman, member of the Argentinian indigenous participative board), voiced in French by Marie-Pierre Lemasson, cash-flow manager of the association, who’s known by Mirtha since 2019 when she first came to France under the project Haizebegi. Indeed, our main protagonist, Lauriane, finds echo in Karukinka’s founder…
And if you wish to go further, come with us to visit the “real” lighthouse of the end of the world next winter and spring (North Spring!) (February-April 2025) onboard the association’s sailing ship: the Milagro. More information on: https://karukinka-exploration.com/patagonie-2025/
On the occasion of the Green Shift Festival, held from 5th to 7th June in Monaco, Jorge Quilaqueo, a Mapuche Chaman, exchanged with Sabah Rahmani, an anthropologist journalist, and Hélène Collongues, anthropologist specialising in the Jivaro people.
On the stage of the Green Shift Festival, from left to right, Jorge Quilaqueo, Sabah Rahmani, Hélène Collongues and Sébastien Uscher (the mediator). Credited by Philippe Fitte / FPA2
Jorge Quilaqueo is a Mapuche Chaman. This autochthonous people from Chile and Argentina once occupied a large part of the territory around the Andes Cordillera, until the arrival of the Spanish, from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Jorge Quilaqueo defends the rights of his people, dispossessed of a large part of their lands and wiped out gradually through the ages – there would be less than one million Mapuches today.
He is working at inciting all the people to reconnect to the living.
When stopping in Europe, he opened the 2024 Green Shift Festival of Monaco on 5th June with a water ceremony. This event was dedicated to new utopias of a more sustainable world and was the opportunity to talk about « the ecology of the emotional rather than the rational », as explained by Olivier Wenden, vice-president of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, who’s organising the festival, and of which WE DEMAIN is a collaborator.
