Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary of Uruguay’s Hope Spot Champions Celebrate the Designation of Uruguay’s First – Ever Oceanic Marine Protected Area

May 15, 2025

Cover Image: Aerial view of Isla de Lobos, Uruguay. Credit: Jikatu.

Author: Christy Keating

The sanctuary, years in the making, will protect dozens of species and combat the effects of overfishing.

On a tiny island five miles south of Uruguay’s southernmost point, a lighthouse soars nearly 200feet into the air. Its light has been keeping sailors safe since 1858, warning passing ships against the rocky shallows that surround the island. And now, for the first time, those waters themselves are equally protected, along with the island’s populations of South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens) and fur seals (Arctocephalus australis), thanks to the establishment last August of Uruguay’s first-ever oceanic Marine Protected Area (MPA).

The Isla de Lobos MPA provides a safe haven not only for the Western Hemisphere’s largest colonies of sea lions and fur seals, but also for hundreds of species of corals, fish, sea turtles, seabirds, and cetaceans, including the migratory Southern right whale. These protections are the much-anticipated culmination of four years of collaboration between the Uruguayan government, academic institutions, and multiple non-governmental organizations, including the Organization for the Conservation of Cetaceans (OCC), the Uruguayan Network of Environmental NGOs, the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA-IUCN), the Forum for the Conservation of thePatagonian Sea, the Uruguayan Association of Oceanography and GAIA Foundation.

Although small at only 40 square kilometers, the Isla de Lobos MPA represents a significant first step toward Uruguay’s overall commitment as part of the global community’s “30×30” goal of protecting at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. In addition to Isla de Lobos, the Uruguay Azul 2030 plan will also protect a major portion of the country’s marine biodiversity along the continental slope by 2030. Uruguay’s underwater canyons and coral reefs form critical habitat for a dazzling array of sharks, rays, fish, and turtles, as well as migratory species above and below the waves, including seabirds, whales, and dolphins, which rely on the area for food and safe transit.

This announcement marks an important evolution in protections that OCC’s founder, Rodrigo Garcia Pingaro, has been working towards for decades. Thanks in large part to his efforts, in 2013, Uruguay declared that much of its waters were to become a Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary, protecting migratory cetaceans that pass through its waters. Five years later, in 2018, Mission Blue declared the sanctuary a Hope Spot, shining a global spotlight on the importance of protecting the area’s biodiversity. The Isla de Lobos MPA now adds a legal layer of protection to these waters and brings the world closer to its 30×30 goal.

The MPA not only safeguards biodiversity but also represents an investment in the area’s responsible future in ecotourism, scientific discovery, and fisheries recovery. Commercial fishing has brought Uruguay’s marine ecosystems to the brink of collapse in recent years, and MPA regulations will allow ecologically and economically vital populations to recover and be managed responsibly. Healthier, protected seasbring more ecotourism to the area, which, ethically managed, could result in more money flowing into conservation efforts.

The Isla de Lobos MPA demonstrates Uruguay’s commitment to maintaining a healthy, well-managed marine ecosystem for future generations. It also shows the power of sustained advocacy on behalf of our ocean and its incredible creatures. Thanks to the efforts of environmental champions like Rodrigo Garcia Pingaro, Isla de Lobos is now included amongst the growing protected percentage of our beautiful blue planet.