Expecting a day of rain on our third day in Chile, we were pleasantly surprised when the skies cleared and the sun broke through. Our destination for the day was Chiloe Island, Chile where we were set to ride a chartered boat out to see the Magellanic and Humboldt penguin colonies and their breeding grounds. This is a fascinating geographic location as it is the only place in the world where 2 species of penguins coexist together in harmony.
Our first step was to take the 45-minute ferry ride over to the island from the Puerto Varas area. On our ride, we saw sea lions, dolphins, and even some penguins poking their heads out of the water! The anticipation to arrive at the penguin colony in only a few short hours was growing. The ride over was a scenic beginning to the already fair-weathered day.
Once we arrived on the island, we jumped back into the van and headed toward the coast. About 10 minutes into our ride, our guide stopped at the top of a hill for a picturesque photo opportunity. Alec, our family-deemed professional photographer, hopped out to snag a shot of the landscape overlooking the hills and channels of the island. After Alec exited the van, I realized he had left his phone in the vehicle. I jumped out to deliver it to him. Leah and my dad decided to join the photography brigade, and the three of us crossed the road at the same time. As I pulled out my own phone to take a picture, my dad commented, “Why is this bridge moving?” It was then that I looked around to witness the asphalt moving and bending around us. I yelled, “We’re not on a bridge!” Everything suddenly began to feel as if I had walked onto a swinging suspension bridge with no handholds. Like a sudden jerk back to reality, my dad yelled, “EARTHQUAKE”. We spun around to see the van shaking violently off the ground from side to side, while the wheels were jumping back and forth like a buckin’ bronco at a Texas rodeo. My mom, brother, and sister-in-law were still trapped in the van. Concerned that the van could roll down the hill at any minute, we all rushed toward it. By the time we arrived, the earthquake was losing momentum. It lasted about 6 seconds but seemed like forever. Our guide immediately dialed out to check on the status of the quake. He informed us that it was a 7.6 on the Richter Scale with the epicenter less than 80 miles from us. This occurred around the city of Quellon on the exact same island where we were located. After checking that everyone was safe and only a little “shaken up”, we jumped back into the van to continue our route. The vehicle was abuzz with conversation about each of our experiences in the moments during and after the quake. We were also in shock at the realization of our proximity to the earthquake and our chances of having been in the wake of the quake at just the time we stopped for a photo opp!
As we continued along, our guide received an unsettling alert on his phone. Since TSUNAMI is the same in Spanish and English, we all knew what was going on by this point. There was a tsunami alert for the entire coast line. All of a sudden, every car driving toward the ocean pulled over to the shoulder and turned around to head in the opposite direction. It was like watching an end times movie where people look like rats scurrying away to safety, and I had an eerie feeling about it. Of course we turned around too and headed to a Chilean family farm we had planned to visit later. The farm was located on the top of a hill around the town of Ancud. On our commute to higher ground, we saw people walking up the sides of the street with rolling suitcases and everyone evacuating their houses carrying as many items as possible. Until this moment, I had never understood the fear and urgency that accompanies such terrible natural disasters.
We made it to the farm where we ate a lunch of clams, pork, mussels, potatoes, sausages, and chicken all cooked underneath the ground like a Hawaiian luau.
We spoke in broken Spanish with the farmer’s daughter, Carol, about the agrarian life they led. Throughout the meal, we constantly heard the tsunami alerts going off on phones like a symphony of terror every time. After many walks around the farm and house, we had worn out our welcome and were feeling restless.
It was about this time when everyone got word that the tsunami they had warned of never made it to land. There was a sigh of relief and you could feel the tension loosen in the air. We headed toward the ferry port to ride back to the mainland. Even though we were told the tsunami alert was over, we continued to look over our shoulder toward the ocean as we sat on the top deck of the ferry. Thankful for safety, we arrived at the mainland, but I know none of us will soon forget the earthquake and tsunami of Christmas 2016. So travel tip #53, when someone asks you why is the bridge moving…. Always check first to make sure you’re on a bridge. Happy unpredictable, earth-shaking traveling!
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Kudos! Wonderful blog! Enjoyed it immensely. Mom
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Thank you! Glad you enjoyed reading! 🙂
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Great writing, Marla. Enjoyed reading your blog! I experienced a small earthquake in California several years ago.
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Thank you! Earthquakes are such a weird feeling. I definitely didn’t process what was happening.
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Wow this was an incredible story and adventure! First I want to start off by y’all being penguins, dolphins and sea lions – that is so awesome! Sounds like an amazing ferry ride. Second, your earthquake story, though scary you had a great way of telling the story in a slightly humorous way and I really enjoyed that and am so glad y’all were safe. How badly was the city affected though? Lastly, the meal you experienced…OMG!!!! That looked so delicious and so much fun! Great post!
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The earthquake was definitely scary, but luckily, there were no fatalities -only a few broken bridges and whatnot. I knew you of all people would enjoy reading about the food! Thanks for reading and enjoying! 🙂
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Scary, but such a good story! I know what you mean about not processing what’s happening right away. The first sizable earthquake I felt was as an exchange student in Costa Rica. When I finally figured out what was happening, it was practically over. I’m from the Pacific Northwest where earthquakes are rare, so it was exciting.
Also, two colonies of penguins co-existing peacefully? My heart melted a little. Did you ever get to see them?
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Can I just say that I love how your mom commented on it! So cute. Anyways, I felt like I was in some super dramatic movie at first! I bet you were frightened but happy that everyone ended up to safety. Looking back I’m sure its a cool experience to have but at the time, not so much haha.
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Such a good story, but also scary! Earthquakes are really weird to experience if you aren’t used to them. I remember I felt one (a weak one) one time and thought I was really dizzy haha. Was the town ok? Also, that food looks amazing!!!!
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Wow – what a frightening experience! Glad y’all are ok ❤
I remember regular earthquakes in LA. 5's don't really phase anyone, but everything above it, does. Couldn't imagine a 7.6 though :O
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I’m glad everything ended well, Chile – and Peru – are unfortunately famous for the earthquakes.
I have to admit that experiencing an earthquake like that is something I’d like to try, if I could only be sure not to be in a building when it hits. But I guess all the people in center Italy in these days wouldn’t be very happy to try again…
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Glad that all of you were not harmed in any way. It must have been a terrifying experience and thankfully all of you were safe. Always check if you are standing on a bridge.
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We had read that Chile is much prone to earthquakes but your account was really very scary. We have never experienced an earthquake to that scale which you did. Glad that everyone of you is safe and that the Tsunami didn’t really make it to the land. Looks like you had fun time with family at the farm.
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I guess that a warning like that is not something to take lightly. Nice to hear that no tsunami reached land. It is hard to imagine the force of the wave, especially for me who have never experienced something even close to that. One thing is for sure, I can really understand the feeling of that something might come when entering the ferry. 🙂
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Wow! 7.6 is so so high…must have been scary! I am super that you guys made it without any harm and lots of stories to share. And thank God no Tsunami happened…
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I was in the airport, an hour before boarding my flight to Chile when I heard about the earthquake and the tsunami warning. One of my destinations in Chile was Chiloe island (where by the way I went for 2 days and ended up spending almost a week). I have to say I did feel chills when I read the news. I’m glad to see you had the proper curanto, cooked underneath the earth. What a delicious treat.
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Feeling the earthquakes must be so weird. I’ve never experienced it. So good that everything ended well and you are not harmed!
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That sounds scary, so glad to hear you’re okay. I can’t even imagine what that must have felt like. Growing up in Germany I am not really well educated on how to react in case of an earthquake and have never experienced one.
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The scene just before the quake is so mesmerising! Just tells us how anything can happen and how insignificant our lives are! Nevertheless, hope it did not affect the rest of the trip.
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I’ve never been in a big earthquake like that just some little ones. That’s good that you guys headed for the hills because tsunamis are deadly if they make it to land. I’m glad that you guys had no problems and no one was hurt.
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That was close. 7.6 on ritcher scale is no joke. I can imagine how shaken you all must have been. Well described, I got tense at some parts.
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What an experience! Being in the midst of an earth quake can be a “shaking” experience. I remember an earthquake as a kid when the chairs at home shook like nobody’s business.
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Crazy story! 7.6 is huge!! I have never been in an earthquake but my mum was explaining to me the one she was in in NZ just recently and your description sounded a lot like hers. So so crazy!
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Wow, that must of been intense! Even though I’ve never experienced an 7.6 earthquake, I can only imagine how terrifying it can be. Good thing everything turned out fine and you were all ok 🙂
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