La Serena, Landau, 29 July 2026. These were the worst storms in the regions of Coquimbo and Atacama in decades. At least ten people were killed, many were injured. Due to impassable roads and power outages, around 100,000 people were cut off from the outside world for days and in some cases without drinking water for longer. More than a thousand people had to be accommodated in emergency shelters. The damage to houses, roads and port facilities is enormous, the full extent cannot yet be estimated.

La Serena, July 14, 2026.
The “Literary Contest” initiative collected submissions from the provinces of Elqui, Limarí, and Choapa, thereby using literature to help promote appreciation for and protection of one of the most important marine ecosystems in Chile and the world.
At a press conference on Monday, July 13, the jury of the second “Humboldt Archipelago in 110 Words” literary contest announced the names of the winners in the children’s, youth, and adult categories.

Landau, April 21, 2026. Since August last year, the marine rescue center in Coquimbo, northern Chile, has been caring for injured and sick marine animals. Sphenisco has repeatedly reported on the project’s progress, most recently on December 6, 2025, and January 25, respectively January 2026. The center is jointly operated by the Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN) (1), Sernapesca (2), the NGO Conservación Humboldt (3), and Sphenisco. The sick marine animals are cared for by veterinarians and animal caretakers of the NGO Conservación Humboldt. With support from the zoos in Dresden, Frankfurt, and Halle, Sphenisco financed the renovation of the station and covered the operating costs for one year. In early April 2026, Conservación Humboldt submitted, as planned, the second report—covering the period from December 2025 to March 2026—on the progress of the project (4):

Landau 25 March 2026. Dr. Alejandro Simeone has presented new figures on the population of Humboldt penguins (1) and confirmed the sharp reduction in the population - by 63% compared to 2021/22 - also for Chile. The current surveys are part of a 6-year research project commissioned by Sphenisco and are funded by the Karlsruhe Zoo Species Conservation Foundation, the Friends of Hagenbeck Zoo and the Dresden Zoo. The following text presents the most important result and the discussion of the results. Summaries, introduction, material and methods, further results, full discussion, acknowledgements and literature can be found in the full report (1) (2) (to be submitted later).

Landau, March 19, 2026. A month ago, Sphenisco reported on the designation of the Humboldt penguin as a natural monument. This status enhances the protection of this critically endangered penguin species. The joy was short-lived. Just one week after taking office, the new Kast administration put the designation on hold and announced that it would conduct a technical and legal review. There is concern that the decision will be reversed or put on the back burner. Like many other Chilean media outlets, the Radio BioBio online portal (1) also reported on the matter and provided a detailed account of the assessment by scientist Dr. Alejandro Simeone:

Landau, February 24, 2026.
Civil society groups in Chile and penguin lovers around the world can hardly believe it. First, on February 13, 2026, the Humboldt penguin was declared a natural monument by the Chilean government, thereby improving protection for this endangered species. Then, just eight days later, environmentalists celebrated another major success. On February 21, 2026, the Chilean judiciary's online portal reports on the Dominga project: "The Antofagasta Court of Appeals overturns all measures ordered by the First Environmental Court" (1).

Landau, February 16, 2026. Civil society groups – including Fundación Chile – and scientists in Chile have achieved a major success in saving the Humboldt penguin. The declaration of the Humboldt penguin as a natural monument (1) marks a milestone in the conservation of biological diversity in Chile. On February 13, 2026, the Chilean Ministry of the Environment published the decision:

Landau, February 12, 2026. For five years, Movimiento Ambiental Camanchaca (1) has been committed to environmental protection in the municipality of La Higuera. The non-profit organization is based in the coastal village of Caleta Los Hornos and aims to protect the Humboldt Archipelago from exploitation and promote environmental awareness, sustainable development, and ecotourism. Camanchaca's main goal is to strengthen research, nature conservation, and tourism in the southern part of the municipality, as this area has been neglected in the past. The environmental group is a member of the Humboldt Coquimbo–Atacama Alliance (2) and is very active in the Corporación Turismo Sostenible de La Higuera (3). It is currently represented by Marcelo Alejandro Villalobos S..

Landau, January 22, 2026. On Penguin Awareness Day on January 20, conservationists and scientists in South America once again provided information about penguins. As on World Penguin Day in April, they drew the public's attention to this fascinating species, a miracle of evolution, and the threat of extinction facing some penguin species.