 It is located about north of La Serena in the Coquimbo Region of Chile and has a total area of .Coastal communities of "", "Chañaral de Aceituno", "" are nearby.The reserve is an important breeding site for the Humboldt penguin, for which it is named, and is a habitat for sea lions and bottlenose dolphins, chungungos (marine otters), sea turtle, whale, albatross and cormorant.