Museo Acatushún

de Aves y Mamíferos Marinos Australes
This new museum (inaugurated 10 March 2001) is a working laboratory for the study of marine mammals and birds of southernmost South America, principally Tierra del Fuego. It holds a collection of over 4000 specimens of these animals, the result of 25 years of beach surveys for stranded or incidentally-netted individuals.
The collection contains the skeletons of 21 species of small cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises, beaked whales), six species of large whales, seven of seals and sea lions and over 80 species of birds, as well as a few land mammals.

The exhibition hall features an under-water scene with life-size figures of the smaller marine mammals, each based on an actual specimen, and many hung with their corresponding skeletons. Here you can learn about anatomy, ecology, behavior and many other aspects of the lives of these southernmost animals. Specimens are stored in the Bone House until they can be cleaned, then are processed and stored in the laboratory.
University-level student interns work at the museum each southern summer, learning about the marine mammals and birds, cleaning bones and acting as museum guides.
The Museo Acatushún is located at Estancia Harberton, on the Beagle Channel 85 kms east of Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. It is open to the public from 10 am to 7 pm daily from mid-October to mid-April, except for Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Easter.

The Museum is maintained by the Fundación R. Natalie P. Goodall. The scientific work is carried out by the AMMA Project. This scientific work has been sponsored by grants from the Committee for Research and Exploration (CRE) of the National Geographic Society, other organizations and personal funds. The museum was built with the initiative of the Total Austral S.A. company of Buenos Aires, with assistance from Propak Systems Argentina S.A., the Fondation D' Entreprise Total of France and the Goodall family of Harberton. Other companies and individuals have donated supplies and/or funds to help equip the building.

We await your visit!

 
For questions or comments about this web site please send email to:  webmaster@acatushun.org 
Copyright © 2001 Fundación R. Natalie P. Goodall
Last modification: 17/07/03