Argentina Trip Tours: Tango, Whales & Penguins

Peninsula Valdes is one of the largest marine wildlife reserves in the world, and a true paradise for marine wildlife lovers. Declared a natural heritage by the United Nations, it has an unsurpassed variety of marine wildlife species. A delightful visual feast of penguins, elephant seals, whales, sea lions and orcas (killer whales) can be enjoyed in the peninsula area. Prepare to experience a super close-up and unique encounter with some of the most amazing marine animals, in their natural habitat of Peninsula Valdes Reserve.

Peninsula Valdes is like an island united to the continent by a 22 miles (35 kilometers) long strip of land called Carlos Ameghino Isthmus. After 48 miles (77 kilometers) we do our first stop at a small interpretation center in the Carlos Ameghino Isthmus, from where you can see San Jose Gulf and Nuevo Gulf. On the top floor of this Interpretation Center you will find a set of potent binoculars from where you will be able to see in detail both gulfs and the Isla de los Pajaros (Bird’s Island). The distance between both gulfs is only 4 miles (7 kilometers) at the narrowest part of the Isthmus.

We continue our journey and 15 miles (25 kilometers) later we arrive to the tourist village of Puerto Piramides (Pyramids Port). We will enjoy a 1 hour and a half navigation that departs from Puerto Piramides port. This special navigation will give us the opportunity to enjoy close-up views of sea lion colonies and to visit caves rich in marine fauna fossils. We will then return back to port

We continue our journey heading to the southeast eastern point of the peninsula: Punta Delgada (Delgada Point). The entire road after Puerto Piramides is an unpaved gravel road. After 50 miles (79 kilometers) we reach Punta Delgada, where Punta Delgada lighthouse is located. This lighthouse is a navy base since 1905.

It is in Punta Delgada where three different beaches spread over a 4 mile (6.4 kilometer) coastal line gathering one of the largest concentrations of Southern Elephant Seals, a major attraction for researchers and travelers.

Peninsula Valdes offers the chance to watch Southern Elephant Seals without having to travel to remote islands, since this is the only continental territory in the world where this species is found.

One of the characteristics of these species that most impresses travelers is their large size and enormous weight. Males reach up to 15 feet (5 meters) long and weigh up to 4 tons while females can be 10 feet (3 meters) long and weight up to 1 ton. You definitely do not want one of these males steeping on your toes!
Males have a proboscis or inflatable snout that makes them look like land elephants, which has been the reason of their name.

Though there is a stable colony in Peninsula Valdes all year round, about 40,000 Southern Elephant Seals arrive to the Peninsula from August to March for reproduction and to shed their skin. They are polygamists and form large harems of more than 10 females. They can spend three months at sea, diving day and night for fish. They head for the beaches when it's time to shed their skin or for breeding season.

An outlook located near a cliff will give us the chance of enjoying a panoramic look at the elephant seals colony.

The Southern Elephant Seal has a sub Antarctic distribution it's population is estimated to be around 700,000, of which 20,000 arrive between August and March to breed and change their skin in Peninsula Valdes. They are located all along the external coast of Peninsula Valdes.

During the entire reproduction season they fast (abstain from eating), loosing from 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 7 kilograms) per day. Elephant Seals are excellent divers. They can go as far as 4500 feet (1.500 meters) deep, or average depths of about 1200 feet (400 meters) and stay under water for periods of 2 hours. They are polygamists and form large harems.

Southern Elephant Seals, when not fighting for their harems, spend most of their time lying in the sun. As we stroll down the beach you will be able to hear the loud roars of the male elephant seals which are used as a warning signal to other male elephant seals that are getting too close to their harem. If the intruder ignores the warning and comes even closer to the harem, the 2 elephant seals will eventually end up fighting one another in a contest for sexual domination.

Elephant Seals can be seen throughout the year, especially between August and March, when they are in higher numbers than in the other months. It is possible to go down a cliff in Caleta Valdes by a stair, from which the Elephant Seals and the geological formations of the cove’s spit can be seen.

We then head to Punta Norte to admire a big reserve of Sea Lions.
These magnificent pinnipeds move on land using both their front and back limbs. The males are dark grey and they have a mane. They attain a length of 7 feet (2.3 meters) and the females 5.5 feet (1.80 meters). The males weigh 789 pounds (359 kilograms) while the females weight 220 pounds (100 kilograms). The pups are born at the end of December or beginning of January; they are black and they bleat like a sheep.
Up to the middle of the twentieth century concessions were granted by the Argentine Government for the killing and commerce of sea lions, mainly for the leather and oil of their grease coat. Large-scale exploitation of sea lions took place until 1953, year of the last record. Nevertheless, the killing continued in the zone until 1960, and even on a clandestine way up to the '70s. Later legislation for the conservation of the marine mammals prevented further commercial killings.

Depending on weather conditions, orcas or killer whales can be seen from October to November and from February to April, when they feed on young elephant seals.

Orcas are mammals that belong to the family of cetaceans, but unlike the whales they have teeth. They can be seen in Peninsula Valdes from February to April in Punta Norte Region and from October to November in Caleta Valdes and Punta Delgada region. The orca is predominantly black, except for its white abdomen and a back fin with a white spot behind it which scientist use for its identification.

Orcas are the greatest predator of the seas. They eat several fish species, sea lions, sea tortoises, elephant seals, sharks and penguins. The Orcas of Peninsula Valdes are specially well known for their unique strategy of intentionally stranding on gravel beaches to capture Sea Lions and Elephant Seals calves. The orcas of Patagonia are the only orcas in the world that use this dangerous hunting method in which they swim very quickly onto the beach, leaving two thirds of their body out of the water. They then grab an elephant seal or sea lion with their mouth and jump back into the water with energetic dorsal movements. Finally, they share their hunt with the other members of their group. It is known that hundreds of killer whales die each year during this hunting act, as they expose themselves to dehydration if they are unable to move back into the water after making a kill. Specialized emergency help units must be used to rescue these animals quickly.

Big males can weight more than 8 tons, be 29 feet long (9.5 meters) and their dorsal fin can be up to 6 feet (2 meters) high. Females weight 5 tons and are 18 feet (6 meters) long. Females’ life expectancy is 50 years while life expectancy for the male is only 30 years. When held in captivity average life expectancy is significantly reduced (5 to 10 years).

You will also see in the Peninsula Valdes many prairie and bird species such as guanacos (American Llama), rheas, hairy armadillos, hares, grey foxes, ostriches, and oyster catcher.

After a long journey we start our return back to Puerto Madryn.

Difficulty: low.

Duration: About 10 hours. The whole tour is 250 miles (400 kilometers) long. Only 63 miles (100 kilometers) are done on paved road, the rest is done on unpaved roads (gravel roads).

Guide: shared English/Spanish speaking guide

Transfer: shared vehicle.

Includes: transfers + entrance fee to Peninsula Valdes Reserve.