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The pair had just crossed Eagle Bay - down the coast from Punta Arenas, Chile's southernmost city - when he heard a crash behind him.

Back in Punta Arenas, I caught up with Juan Francisco Pizarro, a government biologist, who was inclined to believe Mylodon succumbed to both hunting and climate pressures.

By now, they were supposed to be well into the first leg of the three-year Life at Sea cruise, sailing from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia.

During its 22-month journey, the ship made only one port call, at Punta Arenas, Chile, the rest of the time staying hundreds of miles from shore.

In Punta Arenas, Chile, a dozen rusty Chinese squid ships were anchored a mile from port.