Project »Chilean Dolphin«

YAQU PACHA in Chile | Around the Chiloé Archipelago in southern Chile live the Chilean and Peales dolphins, among other animal species. While the Peales dolphin (Lagenorhynchus australis) is found in both the South Pacific and the South Atlantic, the Chilean dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia) is an endemic species of Chile. Due to the increasing spread of salmon and mussel farms in recent years, the habitat of these animals is threatened with drastic changes.

The habitats of the Chilean and Peales dolphins overlap with the area of salmon and especially mussel farms. This seems to affect Chilean dolphins to a particularly large extent, as they are mainly found in these protected areas, such as Yaldad Bay, San Pedro and Guamblad Canals. In addition, the nets installed in the coastal zones to catch salmon and native fish in the core area of their habitat pose a strong, direct threat to Peales dolphins. However, as they are forced to stay more and more close to the fishing zones, the likelihood of them becoming entangled in the nets increases.

YAQU PACHA has been on site since 2001 and supports Chilean biologists in order to specify the extent of the dangers and to establish protected areas for Peales dolphins.


YAQU PACHA Chile is currently working intensively on the project NAVEGA CON EL DELFÍN CHILENO – SOY EL DELFÍN CHILENO in environmental education and to make this dolphin species better known in Chile so that people are committed to the protection of the Chilean dolphin.

NAVEGA con el delfin chileno YAQU PACHA Chile

Dolphin Chileno Chilean Dolphins Infographic YAQU PACHA Chile

You can download this infographic as a PDF on the website of YAQU PACHA Chile.


Review: Research vehicle

At the BOOT 2010 trade fair, we set ourselves an ambitious goal:
A research vehicle for our project in Chile

Our biologists urgently needed a suitable vehicle to be mobile on site in Chiloé and to be able to transport the extensive and heavy equipment to the various research areas.

Thanks to the support of our partners, we were able to collect the proud sum of 7,500 EUR during the 9 days of the fair and thus secure the purchase of the vehicle.

We are very pleased that we can now present our fiery red YAQU PACHA Mobil to you. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners again for their support. MUCHAS GRACIAS!

Beluga Diving EEAM Conservation ProgrammesLagona Divers MaresMarionMariscope Quality Divers Beautiful Diving Scubapro SeacamSinai DiversSubal Sub Aqua Dive Trips Taucher.Net Nuremberg Zoo Universidad Austral de Chile


Review: Research Boat

At BOOT 2013, we raised funds for a new research boat. Thanks to the financial help of Teddy Hermann, MARES, SCUBAPRO, KALLWEIT, BAUER, FOTOFAIRSICHERUNG, SCHÖNER TAUCHEN, SUB-AQUA Reisen, BELUGA Tauchsport and Mr. JÜRGEN PASTORINO, Yaqu, our new research boat, is now floating ready for use at the anchor buoy in front of the research station in Yaldad.

Website of YAQU PACHA Chile


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Project Robben | Project Manatee | Sea Otter | Amazon Dolphin | 30 years of YAQU PACHA e.V. | Project La Plata Delfin | Project Amazon Dolphin | Bottlenose dolphin project | Summary of a successful workshop | Species Conservation | Team Latin America