Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Order a flight of infused ya dong shots.
Tep Bar
Thai-Chinese makes up Bangkok’s largest diaspora.
Nai Ek Roll Noodle
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
6 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
6 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
7 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
8 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Uruguay Isla de Lobos
AO Edited

Isla de Lobos

This small island off the coast of Uruguay hosts the largest colony of sea lions and fur seals in the southern hemisphere.

Uruguay

Added By
StepYoshi
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Isla de Lobos   Heretiq
Isla de Lobos   Heretiq
Isla de Lobos   Sandra Pineda Arce La Torre / Alfredobi
Isla de Lobos   Jimmy Baikovicius
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Off the coast of Uruguay, five miles (eight kilometers) south of the sea resort of Punta del Estelies is the small Isla de Lobos. The island is located along the outer limit of the Rio de la Plata estuary and belongs to a natural reserve with Gorriti Island.

The island was known to the first Spanish explorers in the area around the 16th-century. In 1858, the Uruguayan government built the first lighthouse on the island, which was restored in 1906 and was turned into the country's first automated lighthouse in 2001.

Since 1992, the island has become part of the Coastal Islands National Park in order to protect the local fauna. The island is home to the largest colony of sea lions and fur seals in the southern and western hemispheres. In a 2005 census, over 1,500 sea lions and 250,000 fur seals were counted on Isla de Lobos.

While these animals are clearly the main population of the area, other species visit the island as well such as elephant seals and various species of birds. In addition, the island is a whale-watching spot, as Southern right whales often pass by the area when wintering around the Uruguayan coast. This is also one of the few places in the country where orcas are present. 

Related Tags

Animals Sea Lions Seals

Community Contributors

Added By

StepYoshi

Published

April 5, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_de_Lobos
  • https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_de_Lobos_(Uruguay)
Isla de Lobos
Uruguay
-35.027291, -54.883628

Nearby Places

Puente Laguna Garzón

Maldonado, Uruguay

miles away

Monumento la Carreta

Montevideo, Uruguay

miles away

Castillo Pittamiglio

Montevideo, Uruguay

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Uruguay

Uruguay

South America

Places 15
Stories 2

Nearby Places

Puente Laguna Garzón

Maldonado, Uruguay

miles away

Monumento la Carreta

Montevideo, Uruguay

miles away

Castillo Pittamiglio

Montevideo, Uruguay

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Uruguay

Uruguay

South America

Places 15
Stories 2

Related Places

  • The seals at Donna Nook.

    Donna Nook, England

    Gray Seals of Donna Nook

    The adorable animals return to this nature reserve every fall to give birth to their pups.

  • Swinburne Island.

    Staten Island, New York

    Swinburne Island

    This abandoned artificial island off the coast of New York City is now home to dozens of harbor seals.

  • Gålö Seal Training Station

    Haninge C, Sweden

    Gålö Seal Training Station

    This secret facility trained seals for the Swedish navy during the Second World War.

  • Happy harbor seals lounge within the rookery.

    Carpinteria, California

    Carpinteria Harbor Seal Preserve

    Happy harbor seals frolic and snooze on this warm, sandy stretch of coast.

  • Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas

    San Simeon, California

    Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery

    This stretch of beach along California's central coast is a busy highway for the largest seal in the northern hemisphere.

  • Abandoned house on Año Nuevo Island

    Pescadero, California

    Año Nuevo Island

    Elephant seals and sea lions have turned the abandoned buildings on this island into their endangered love shack.

  • Young adult male elephant seals vie for dominance

    Pescadero, California

    Elephant Seals of Año Nuevo State Park

    Once close to extinction, there is no shortage of elephant seals on the beaches of Año Nuevo State Park.

  • Grumpy Cat’s headstone.

    Sun City, Arizona

    Grumpy Cat’s Grave

    The final resting place for an internet icon.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.