see them still there means their populations can
rebound, if humans let them.
After the expedition we changed from wet suit
to business suit to lobby Argentine government
officials for ocean protection along with our
partners at the Forum for Conservation of the
Patagonian Sea and Tompkins Conservation.
Alex Muñoz, Pristine Seas director for Latin
America, presented the results of our expedition
to the government, in support of a plan to create
the Yaganes marine park. We also premiered
our documentary film from the expedition in
Buenos Aires, bringing the marine wonders of
Yaganes and Tierra del Fuego to Argentine lead-
ers and citizens.
In December the Argentine Parliament con-
vened an extraordinary session to consider the
proposal. We were all nervous. We knew that
the National Park Administration and some key
leaders in government supported protection of
the area. But under Argentine law, the bill to
authorize the park had to be approved by the
House of Representatives and the Senate.
After some tense negotiations, the House
voted on December 5. I was astonished. The bill
passed on a vote of 196 to zero—as resounding
an affirmation for conservation as I’ve ever wit-
nessed in any country. The Senate gave it the
final blessing on December 12. Chile had already
designated its own fully protected marine park
south of Cape Horn a year earlier. Forty years
ago Chile and Argentina had come to the brink
of war over disputed territorial rights south of
Tierra del Fuego. Now the presidents of the two
countries would like to declare the area a marine
peace park—possibly the largest contiguous
transboundary protected oceanic area.
“Today is a day of joy for all Argentines,” Clau-
dio told me on the phone, after the park bill was
signed into law. But the joy isn’t only for Argen-
tines. Having had the privilege of exploring and
documenting these waters, I feel that the ocean
has won a little bit back against our relentless
quest to empty it of life. Thanks to the leadership
of two governments, the integrity of the great
ecosystem of the sea at the end of the world will
be maintained for years to come. j
National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence
Enric Sala is the founding director of Pristine Seas,
which—with government leaders, NGOs, and local
communities—has helped protect more than two
million square miles where ocean life can thrive.
THE SEA AT THE END OF THE WORLD 109