The Place
Scientific understanding of the Juan Fernández islands, among the few oceanic islands belonging to Chile, is extremely limited. The archipelago lies about 600km west of Valparaíso & is 3 islands: Robinson Crusoe, Santa Clara, and Alejandro Selkirk.
They are recognized as a distinct ecoregion and are home to a high percentage of rare and endemic plants and animals, including the Juan Fernández fur seal and two petrel species: Stejneger’s petrel and the Juan Fernández petrel, which are both vulnerable to human impact due to their small breeding ranges.
Despite being close to the South American continent, the islands’ marine flora and fauna more closely resemble those found in the central and South Pacific due to the biogeographic barrier created by the Humboldt Current, which passes powerfully between the islands and the mainland.