{"id":202331,"date":"2024-11-19T11:53:58","date_gmt":"2024-11-19T11:53:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/?p=202331"},"modified":"2024-11-19T11:53:59","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T11:53:59","slug":"whats-in-a-name-why-useless-bay-is-an-ecological-treasure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/whats-in-a-name-why-useless-bay-is-an-ecological-treasure\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s in a name? Why Useless Bay is an ecological treasure"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The map of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/regions\/tierra-del-fuego\">Tierra del Fuego<\/a> is littered with so many sad place names that you\u2019re often left feeling that its first European visitors just weren\u2019t having a very good time. Places like Disappointment Bay, Port Famine and the Gulf of Sorrows hardly offered encouragement to potential colonists \u2013 and even today a traveller might be wary of pointing their compass into these particular wilds.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But names can be deceptive. One such location, Useless Bay, has perhaps the most unpromising name in geography, but today is finding its feet as a wildlife watching destination just a short distance from Punta Arena, Chile\u2019s gateway to southern Patagonia. And now, scientists are discovering that its true riches lie beneath its waters. To find out more, we spoke to Mathias H\u00fcne, a marine biologist who has been working with the conservation organisation Rewilding Chile, to uncover its incredible underwater world, and how it can be protected for future generations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Useful for penguins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Useless Bay, or Bah\u00eda In\u00fatil as it is known in Spanish, is a wide body of water that forms a giant spur off the Strait of Magellan. It received its unfortunate name in 1827, when it was visited by the British Royal Navy ship <em>HMS Beagle<\/em> (later to carry Charles Darwin on a much more famous voyage), who found its exposed landscapes scoured by wind and impossible to safely anchor in. For naval purposes, it was indeed quite useless.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/King-penguins-bahia-inutil-useless-bay-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-202330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/King-penguins-bahia-inutil-useless-bay-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/King-penguins-bahia-inutil-useless-bay-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/King-penguins-bahia-inutil-useless-bay-855x481.jpg 855w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/King-penguins-bahia-inutil-useless-bay-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/King-penguins-bahia-inutil-useless-bay-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/King-penguins-bahia-inutil-useless-bay-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/King-penguins-bahia-inutil-useless-bay-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/King-penguins-bahia-inutil-useless-bay-1980x1113.jpg 1980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">King penguins at Bah\u00eda Inut\u00edl (Useless Bay)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps because of its name, Bah\u00eda In\u00fatil never saw any great settlement by colonists, who preferred the far more convenient location of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/chile\/torres-del-paine\/punta-arenas\">Punta Arenas<\/a> on the other side of the strait. It\u2019s only in recent years that that bay has troubled the attention of outsiders, when in 2013 a group of king penguins arrived in the bay, and to everyone\u2019s surprise, decided to form a small breeding colony.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bah\u00eda In\u00fatil is now home to the only colony of king penguins on mainland South America, carefully protected by the local landowners. As a result, a trip to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/visit\/wildlife\/penguins\/king-penguin\">see the king penguins <\/a>has become a popular overnight side trip from Punta Arenas.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Beneath the waves<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The arrival of the king penguins suggested that there may have been more to this apparently useless stretch of water than had previously been imagined. Over the last year, scientists from Rewilding Chile have been surveying Bah\u00eda In\u00fatil to find out just what else it might be hiding. The results have been astonishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3272-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-202335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3272-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3272-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3272-855x481.jpg 855w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3272-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3272-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3272-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3272-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3272-1980x1114.jpg 1980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Crab among the kelp forests at Ba\u00eda Inut\u00edl (Image: Carlos Roth\/Rewilding Chile)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018One of our goals in our marine conservation program is related to the creation of marine parks,\u2019 explains Mathias H\u00fcne, a marine biologist who has been diving in Patagonia\u2019s waters for over 20 years. Although Chile has been a pioneer in recent years in designating large swathes of land as national parks, less than 1% of its marine ecosystems are currently protected.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The waters of Bah\u00eda In\u00fatil are thick with giant kelp forests. These thick towers of seaweed, which can stretch more than 30 metres in length, harbour a wide variety of sea life, and play an important role as nurseries for many fish and invertebrates as well as providing shelter and hunting grounds for larger species.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018Kelp forests are a dominant component of the coastal seascape of the entire Magallanes region,\u2019 says H\u00fcne, which makes places like Bah\u00eda In\u00fatil an important biodiversity hotspot. \u2018Diving in these forests is like being a bird, because the visibility is amazing \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s 20 metres or more. It\u2019s one of the best places to dive I know.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-12-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-202334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-12-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-12-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-12-855x481.jpg 855w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-12-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-12-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-12-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-12-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-12-1980x1113.jpg 1980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Octopus in Ba\u00eda Inut\u00edl (Image: Carlos Roth\/Rewilding Chile)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The clarity of the water suggests that the bay could be a real divers paradise, but H\u00fcne cautions against getting too excited about the prospect. The same strong winds that inspired the Royal Navy to dub the area Useless Bay also mean that it\u2019s a very hard place to dive, and explain why it\u2019s taken biologists so long to carry out a survey. Diving is only practical in the winter months when the weather is reliably calm.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018It\u2019s very, very cold and you only have a few hours of daylight,\u2019 says H\u00fcne, who says that diving in the bay is comparable to diving in Antarctica. Even with a dry suit, it\u2019s only possible to stay in the water for an hour, which makes it tricky to carry out the work needed for a complete survey of all the species amid the kelp.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Unexpected species<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The survey work consists of carrying out a series of line transects, carefully recording every species encountered, along with further water sampling to record plankton health. The kelp forests have proved to be home to a huge number of species, from crustaceans, scallops, octopus and squid, to humbler species like sponges and anemones that nevertheless play their own important role in the local ecosystem.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-09-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-202336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-09-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-09-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-09-855x481.jpg 855w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-09-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-09-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-09-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-09-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/mathias-hune-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-09-1980x1113.jpg 1980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Taking a transect in Ba\u00eda Inut\u00edl (Image: Carlos Roth\/Rewilding Chile)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One species that proliferates in Bah\u00eda In\u00fatil is the shrimp-like munida, also known as the lobster krill, which H\u00fcne explains is a keystone species as it a food item for many species, including the humpback and sei whales that are found in the Strait of Magellan. It\u2019s also a favourite prey item for king penguins, which goes some way to explaining why the bay\u2019s newest residents decided to stick around and form a colony here.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team were also surprised to find ice fish in the bay. This group of species, so named as the lack of haemoglobin in their blood gives them a translucent appearance, are normally only found in Antarctica. As a fish specialist, H\u00fcne is particularly pleased with this discovery. \u2018We have the first record of a larval stage of this fish in Patagonia in Bah\u00eda In\u00fatil,\u2019 he says, suggesting that the fish may be breeding in the bay. This makes protecting its waters even more important: ice fish is another important food item for other species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Future protection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As he goes through the list of discoveries in the bay, H\u00fcne laughs at the irony of it having been named Useless Bay. \u2018Perhaps it\u2019s good, because with this name we could protect this area,\u2019 he says, noting the lack of economic development on this side of the Strait of Magellan.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3171-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-202337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3171-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3171-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3171-855x481.jpg 855w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3171-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3171-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3171-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3171-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3171-1980x1114.jpg 1980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ba\u00eda Inut\u00edl is an important fish nursery (Image: Carlos Roth\/Rewilding Chile)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The next step is to take the data so that a formal proposal for protecting the bay can be created. One thing that Rewilding Chile has aso learned is that just having a report isn\u2019t good enough. It\u2019s essential to work with the local communities. \u2018It&#8217;s the most important thing,\u2019 says H\u00fcne. \u2018If you don&#8217;t have the support of the fishermen, you&#8217;re nothing.\u2019 This will become even more vital depending on whether the final proposal will be for complete protection of the bay to allow it to be mixed use, including fishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a tricky question, but one that Rewilding Chile have dealt with in the past. Not far from Bah\u00eda In\u00fatil is Cabo Froward, which in the last 12 months they have successfully proposed as Chile\u2019s next national park (a project we&#8217;re supporting through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/sustainability\/swoop-conservation-fund\">Swoop Conservation Fund<\/a>). In fact, that\u2019s where H\u00fcne is heading next, to carry out more underwater surveys as part of that project.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But for now, he\u2019s happy that the research team has started to put Bah\u00eda Inut\u00edl\u2019s ecological treasures on the map. It\u2019s a good reminder that nowhere is truly useless: you just have to look below the surface. And if in doubt, ignore the grumblings of ancient mariners and listen to the penguins instead: they know a good thing when they see it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">*<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The map of Tierra del Fuego is littered with so many sad place names that you\u2019re often left feeling that its first European visitors just weren\u2019t having a very good time. Places like Disappointment Bay, Port Famine and the Gulf of Sorrows hardly offered encouragement to potential colonists \u2013 and even today a traveller might [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":202338,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[309,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-202331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-epic-adventures","category-tierra-del-fuego"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What\u2019s in a name? Why Useless Bay is an ecological treasure - Swoop Patagonia Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We discover the underwater marvels of Useless Bay in Tierra del Fuego with Rewilding Chile, to reveal just why its name is such a misnomer.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/whats-in-a-name-why-useless-bay-is-an-ecological-treasure\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What\u2019s in a name? Why Useless Bay is an ecological treasure - Swoop Patagonia Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We discover the underwater marvels of Useless Bay in Tierra del Fuego with Rewilding Chile, to reveal just why its name is such a misnomer.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/whats-in-a-name-why-useless-bay-is-an-ecological-treasure\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Swoop Patagonia Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-19T11:53:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-11-19T11:53:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/bernardo-toro-expedicion-marina-bahia-inutil-jun2023-DSC_3496.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1238\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Paul\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Paul\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/whats-in-a-name-why-useless-bay-is-an-ecological-treasure\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/whats-in-a-name-why-useless-bay-is-an-ecological-treasure\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Paul\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.swoop-patagonia.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/6b8a28039f01700a59d0b2d6de971dd2\"},\"headline\":\"What\u2019s in a name? 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