The Humboldt Current

In Chile's Torres del Paine, melt from snow-covered mountains feeds finger-like fjords as they reach out to the sea to join the current, lowering its salinity and becoming home to wading birds, rare dolphins and orcas.

The Humboldt Current is slower than most ocean currents, but it's the most dynamic in the world because it travels for such a long distance and lays the foundation for an intricate marine food chain.

The current is followed by a unique population of Chilean blue whales and is the last refuge for other extremely rare marine mammals.