by Cole Snyder, University of Vermont
Team Huemul switched instructors with Team Guanaco. Although saying goodbye to parents Adam and Shalynn was hard, we were excited to get to know both Eli and Kyla. First we took an exciting three hour car ride to the city of Tortel. Along the way we encountered a Patagonian Hog-nosed Skunk. The adorable little guy was obviously injured and was hobbling around the road with a mangled tail. Still, he had a cute little pink hog nose. Then we arrived at our campsite in Tortel.
Tortel could be described as the Venice of Chile, as the town is surrounded by a 2 kilometer boardwalk. There was a sandy beach that was a short walk to where a gang of dogs repeatedly chased any approaching birds. The gang took us in and protected us. The dogs walked us back to our campsite and would bark at any other canine they deemed a threat to us. We were accepted into the popular dog group of Tortel.
Violeta walking on the Puerto Edén boardwalk. Photo by Cole Snyder
Then the ferry ride! We had no idea what to except for our 13 hour ferry ride to the town of Puerto Eden, but it was amazing. The seats were very comfortable and they would lean back and we each received our own blanket and pillow. Warm showers washed away the disgusting scent from our bodies. Our breakfast was amazing, a ham and cheese sandwich on white bread.
View from the Ferry, Photo by Cole Snyder
Then we arrived in Puerto Edén. Puerto Edén could be compared to a smaller, abandoned Chilean Venice. It is one of the wettest places on earth, with an average of about 0.6 inches of rain a day, every single day of the year. The town once housed 600 people who fished for mussels. Then the toxic algae known as red tide infected the mussel population in the area. In 1996, a young fishermen who consumed mussels actually died from paralytic shellfish poisoning. Most of the residents left over the next few years, seeking safer and more secure employment in Puerto Natales, leaving only 60 residents today. The town also has the last 5 members of a 6,000 year old indigenous group called the Kawésqar.
Our first day there was spent strolling along the boardwalk that goes along the town. It was raining and pouring, but we were still excited to embark on our new adventure learning about the slow growing Ciprés de las Guaitecas in the area. We were staying in the house of Juan Vilo, an older fisherman with a heart of gold and amazing humor. We cleared out his mussel-smoking structure, to make space for cooking and making fires for relaxing before sleep. The sleeping situation was amazing, as we each had our own bed, except for Eli who graciously slept on the floor. A Kawésqar named Raul invited us into his home for mate and chatting, and we learned about his culture. Even though he was initially hesitant about our reasoning for being in the town, he warmed up to us quickly and we had some great chuckles here and there.
Outside of our home at Puerto Eden there were a pair of Flightless Steamer Ducks. These ducks were named this because when colonists came to Chile, they would approach the fat flightless animals and the ducks would flap away quickly leaving a trail of water in their path like a steam engine would. It was fascinating to watch the ducks chase away any other Steamer Ducks that would get near them, and leave a trail of water behind their fat little bums.
Through meeting with residents, we learned that Puerto Eden is a place where many of the residents feel frustrated. Fishing for mussels is very difficult now, because of the increased frequency of red tide events, and because testing for the red tide can take weeks. The town is also surrounded by the Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, and so harvesting of Cipés trees is technically illegal, although many of the residents do it to survive and CONAF turns a blind eye.
Round River is just starting to learn about the complexities of the ciprés harvesting situation in the part of Bernardo O’Higgins National Park near to Puerto Edén. We observed the large quantity of dead standing ciprés trees from fires in the past along the fjords as we sailed into Puerto Edén. These standing dead trees represent the complicated history of resource use in the area.