Argentina 4 – Peninsula Valdez – Penguins and More!

Can it get more exciting! Oh yes it can!

Over the next few days and lots of driving along the straight dusty roads. We changed our accommodation from the tumble weed farm to a quirky hippy village Puerto Pirimides to reduce the amount of time spent driving. It’s the only village on the Peninsula. Not all our trips were successful, and both of us napped in the car at one time or another when the wildlife wasn’t obvious or waiting for tides. If Jayne tells you she cannot nap, she totally can and I have photos to prove it! Unfortunately she’s got a few of me too so I’m not publishing any!

At Caleta Valdez I was totally blown away, both literally (it was windy) and figuratively. There were Magellanic penguins at our feet! Of course there was a fence and a walkway but in places the penguins were on our side of it! A day or so later the fence was moved to protect them.

The birds seemed to be sunbathing, or sleeping. It was wonderful! When we visited them again later they were calling their mates who had been out at sea. They sound a bit like donkeys (sorry to bust any imagined cute sounds) they are noisy! Jayne was enchanted!

Here we also saw a pair of Chimango Cara Cara that Jayne had a devil of a job trying to capture on camera. Also we were noticing more and more species and smaller birds too. Often we would send my Dad a photo or description so he could research it for us. Thanks Dad, no more homework for now!

We moved further along the coast to what looked like sand dunes but in actual fact are not blown or washed up sand heaps, but an eroded ancient seabed (the water was higher at one time) I think as you can see the layers.

We spent a good few hours watching Southern Right Whales out to sea through binoculars, they always seemed to be in pairs. There was something so peaceful about watching them.

Then on our last visit to this particular spot we had the most magical event. We were on one of the platforms and a number of people had gathered late in the day. Jayne was photographing elephant seals, I was looking out to sea, mostly at small groups of sea lions swimming past or the odd Right Whale in the distance. I was looking North along the beach when I saw something black in the water and moving fast. I said so to Jayne just as the person next to me breathed “Orca”.

It took me a minute to start my video. The pod (I think about 8 or 10 in total) included some very young and they came very very close to the shore sending a cluster of baby Elephant Seals lurching up the beach. This is the only place in the world where Orcas risk beaching themselves to take seals, it’s not the right time of year for that but they are brazen, I was amazed how close they came. We were transfixed.

As the first few passed another small group came by. I called to Jayne as she was still watching the first group in the distance and I didn’t want her to miss these! 

As they moved along the shore the people moved to the other side of the platform. I remained where I was looking with my binoculars. For the first time I wished I had a decent camera with a long lense…  There was one Orca on its own and quite a way out and I was watching through my binoculars. Then just as it came level with me it moved into a fairly high wave and I could see the whole animal from the side using the wave like a corridor and quite possibly it was looking at us. I think only one other person actually saw this. It was phenomenal and it makes me emotional just thinking about it now.

Orca’s are actually dolphins despite being called “killer whales” this was something I learned on this trip.

The next post will be short and about the other animals of this region that don’t often get center stage.