Now past Chilean President Michele Bachelet has signed a decree creating 9 marine reserves which protects 4,000 miles of coastline.

President Bechelet ends her term of office this week.  She believes that Chile needed to establish the basis on which to conserve its marine territory for the future.  

The decree will increase the area of sea under the protection of the Chilean government from 4.3% to 42.4%.   It will protect marine life in about 1.4 million square kilometres of sea.  

One of the new reserve covers the waters around the Diego Ramirez Islands.  Sea lions, kelp forests and whales make this their home.

Let's hope her successor will continue to take similar steps to preserve the country's marine life.

Wildlife flourishes on an untouched Chile island