US biodiversity NGO buys Chilean island for conservation project
Maya Kendall Shah
11 June 2025
US biodiversity-focused non-governmental organisation (NGO) Re:wild has called on two Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP offices and Carey in Santiago to acquire the Guafo Island in southern Chile for a conservation project.
Latin Lawyer understands that Aninat Abogados advised the seller in this deal but could not confirm this nor the seller's details before publishing
The deal closed on 24 April.
With this acquisition, Re:wild will protect and restore the island’s ecosystems and biodiversity through conservation initiatives.
This deal marks the first the NGO’s first biodiversity project in Chile.
Re:wild's acquisition of Guafo forms part of its broader mission to protect and restore the world's most irreplaceable ecosystems, contributing to global biodiversity and climate stability.
The NGO, founded by several conservation scientists and US actor Leonardo DiCaprio, collaborates with Indigenous groups, local communities and other organisations to drive impactful conservation efforts. Its approach involves creating protected areas, supporting land rights, and implementing tailored solutions to address specific environmental challenges.
Guafo is an island along the Pacific coast of northern Patagonia in Chile and serves as the gateway to the Gulf of Corcovado, one of the main breeding and feeding grounds for blue whales along the Chilean coast. It is also home to nesting sites for the sooty shearwater seabird, hosting nearly four million birds each year, making it the largest breeding colony of migratory birds in the world. The island is also home to South American fur seals, South American sea lions, sea otters, humpback whales, orcas and magellanic penguins.
Counsel to Re:wild
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Partners Alan Laves, A Y Mernick and Nick Houpt in Dallas, and counsel Eduardo Canales and associate Claire Beaty in Houston
Carey
Partner Francisco Ugarte, counsel Tomás Varela, and associates María José Vidal and Francisca Eyzaguirre in Santiago
