Península Valdés – November 28,2012

Halfway down Argentina´s scalloped coastline is a stalked polyp of land called Península Valdés. Early European settlers mined the salt basins and grazed sheep on the barren steppes. Wool, hides and salt were shipped from the natural ports created by its unique formation. These protected beaches are also breeding grounds for thousands of marine mammals and birds. The entire huge peninsula is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and strictly regulated.

In our rental car we spent the whole day driving kilometers and kilometers of gravel road (ripio) between viewpoints.

Along the way, we saw guanacos (vicuñas) and sheep,

and choiques (lesser rheas).

We followed one choique with a brood of nine young slowly down the road and stopped to take photos. Afterwards we were gently scolded by a park ranger for getting out of the car. “This is the animals’ home, not ours.”

Our first stop was a penguin colony, though tiny compared to what we would see the next day in Punto Tombo. At the other two viewpoints, we could look down on the beaches and see elephant seals and sea lions (lobos marinos).

A hairy armadillo – peludo – scurried around the parking lot at Punto Norte and we saw many lizards and geckos along an interpretive trail.

Our final stop of the day was not on the tourist map, but told to us by Lilian, the car rental agent. Another long gravel and sand road led to Punta Valeras where we finally could climb down to the ocean. At the base of a sand cliff we found ourselves on a long shelf of rock jutting into the ocean, forming one wall of a cove. We sat at the edge looking out to sea and watching the tide come in.

We were nearly ready to leave when a whale surfaced in the cove. Then a second, smaller one followed. Ballenas franca austral, southern right whales, mother and calf. Broad bulbous heads covered with barnacles. A whalewatching boat crowded with school kids slowly circled them.

For maybe 15 minutes the whales lingered in the cove, sometimes coming up right alongside the boat. Then they headed out to sea. They surfaced one more time, 20 feet in front of us! We had the camera ready . . . and the battery went dead. Arrgh! But the memory will live on . . .