Situated on the northern shore of Gulf San Jorge, Bahia Bustamante, in Chubut province, is a private estancia (ranch) founded in 1953 by Don Lorenzo Soriano. Covering about 200,000 acres of land from the rugged coastal landscape to the vast dry steppes of Patagonia it has been devoted to the harvest of seaweed/kelp from the productive waters of the bay. This morning we will have the opportunity to explore by Zodiac the many near-shore islands that harbor a diverse array of nesting seabirds and up to 4,000 South American sea lions during the breeding season.
As recently as 2007, Argentina founded its first national marine park centered around the waters of Bahia Bustamente. One of the main species of interest to protect here is an endemic species of flightless duck, the White-headed Steamerduck, which is range limited to the waters of San Jorge Gulf. It belongs to a unique group of ducks found only in the Patagonia region of Argentina, Chile, and the Falkland Islands. Their name is derived from the explosive manner in which they propel themselves on the surface of the water with both their wings and feet creating a reminiscent look of a steam-wheeler on the Mississippi.
The South American sea lion are just beginning to gather for the summer breeding season. The shoreline of one particular island had several hundred individuals already staging for both the pupping and mating season. Each cluster of females and yearling pups had an associates male or bull sea lion tending to the harem. The males or “beachmasters” patrol and hold dominance over a patch of beach and do not actually control the females. The bellowing and grunts from these, the second largest species of sea lion, could be heard from a great distance as we approached for a closer look.
We were fortunate to have the current owner of the estancia, Matias Soriano with us in our Zodiac all morning. His family has long sought to care for this special place and along with the various products and food items they produce from the seaweed harvest they run a very small eco-resort at the homestead. The abundant life and diversity found here made it clear as to why Bahia Bustamente was set aside and protected for future generations and for the health of this amazing ecosystem.
