Chiloé National Park is a national park of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

, located in the western coast of

Chiloé Island Chiloé Island ( es, Isla de Chiloé, , ) also known as Greater Island of Chiloé (''Isla Grande de Chiloé''), is the largest island of the Chiloé Archipelago off the west coast of Chile, in the Pacific Ocean. The island is located in southern ...

, in

Los Lagos Region Los Lagos Region ( es, Región de Los Lagos , ''Region of the Lakes'') is one of Chile's 16 regions, which are first order administrative divisions, and comprises four provinces: Chiloé, Llanquihue, Osorno and Palena. The region contains ...

(region of the lakes). It encompasses an area of divided into two main sectors: the smallest, called Chepu, is in the commune of Ancud, whereas the rest, called Anay, is in the communes of Dalcahue, Castro and Chonchi. The greater portion of the Park is in the foothills of Chilean Coastal Range, known as the ''Cordillera del Piuchén''. It includes zones of dunes,

Valdivian temperate rain forests The Valdivian temperate forests (NT0404) is an ecoregion on the west coast of southern South America, in Chile and Argentina. It is part of the Neotropical realm. The forests are named after the city of Valdivia. The Valdivian temperate rainforest ...

, swamps, and peat bogs. A small portion, Metalqui, is an islet with an area of . It is located between 42° 07' and 42° 13' south

latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north po ...

and between 73° 55' and 74° 09' west

longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east– west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek let ...

(see ).

History

The park was created by Supreme Chilean Decree N° 734, in 1982. Its surface area has been reduced by more than by populated land that was initially in the protected area.

Climate

The climate is wet and temperate, with average annual temperatures of and abundant precipitation distributed uniformly throughout the year, varying according to the altitude. On the Pacific coast over fall annually, while in the higher elevations of the Piuchén, nearly fall, and on the

rainshadow A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is car ...

ed eastern slopes, as little as in annual precipitation is measured.

Flora

The predominant vegetation is that of the

Valdivian forest The Valdivian temperate forests (NT0404) is an ecoregion on the west coast of southern South America, in Chile and Argentina. It is part of the Neotropical realm. The forests are named after the city of Valdivia. The Valdivian temperate rain ...

, a dense forest formed by perennial trees, shrubs and climbing plants. The rainforests are made up of evergreen

southern beech ''Nothofagus'', also known as the southern beeches, is a genus of 43 species of trees and shrubs native to the Southern Hemisphere in southern South America (Chile, Argentina) and Australasia (east and southeast Australia, New Zealand, New Gu ...

(''Nothofagus''), and some native conifers, including the magnificent alerce (''Fitzroya cupressoides''). Extensive bogs and swamps are found in the hills. The

Chilean rhubarb ''Gunnera tinctoria'', known as giant rhubarb or Chilean rhubarb, is a flowering plant species native to southern Chile and neighbouring zones in Argentina. It is unrelated to rhubarb, as the two plants belong into different orders, but looks s ...

is also very common.

Fauna

The feature that made the island of Chiloe and the

Gulf of Corcovado Gulf of Corcovado () is a large body of water separating the Chiloé Island from the mainland of Chile. Geologically, it is a forearc basin that has been carved out by Quaternary glaciers. Most of the islands of Chiloé Archipelago are located ...

world-famous is the presence of local population of

pygmy blue whale The pygmy blue whale (''Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda'') is a subspecies of the blue whale (''Balaenoptera musculus'') found in the Indian Ocean and the southern Pacific Ocean. Reaching lengths of up to 24 metres (79 ft) it is small ...

s (The Cetacean Conservation Center carries out the Blue Whale Project). There are only 4 or more known forging grounds of them and

blue whale The blue whale (''Balaenoptera musculus'') is a marine mammal and a baleen whale. Reaching a maximum confirmed length of and weighing up to , it is the largest animal known to have ever existed. The blue whale's long and slender body can b ...

s in Southern Hemisphere including Chiloe region. In this area, it is notable that whales often enter into narrow

fiord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Icela ...

s either to feed or rest. This area is also an important habitats for other whale species such as humpbacks, finbacks, seis, and possibly for critically endangered, only around 30 animals-remaining

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

/Chilean stock of

southern right whale The southern right whale (''Eubalaena australis'') is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus ''Eubalaena''. Southern right whales inhabit oceans south of the Equator, between the latitudes of 20 ...

s as well. Whales can also be observed close to shore in southern side of the island, such as near Caleta Zorra.

References

Sources

Translated from the Spanish site (see interwiki link).
Parque Nacional Chiloe
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chiloe National Park Protected areas of Los Lagos Region Natural history of Chile Chiloé Archipelago Protected areas established in 1983 National parks of Chile Valdivian temperate rainforest