Peninsula Valdés, Argentina
First light painted soft pinks and reds across the sky for early risers aboard National Geographic Explorer, which was securely tied to the main dock in the small city of Puerto Madryn, Patagonia, Argentina. The excitement was palpable as breakfast was served early and the busses loaded for our adventure to Peninsula Valdés. Off we raced into the sunrise for a day of exploration on this remote coastline.
How to describe the dry steppe to one who has not experienced it? Leaving the city behind, we were immediately surrounded by seemingly inhospitable dry, scrubby plant life. Patagonia is full of surprises as the morning flew by in sightings (and photos) of stately guanacos, running out across the steppe in twos and threes, with the occasional large group seen grazing among the sheep. Lesser rheas raced the bus along the gravel roads of this Provincial Preserve, often out pacing us! Several sightings of the mara (Patagonian hare), led to cameras clicking rapidly to capture this bizarre looking animal.
Estancia San Lorenzo was our morning destination and here we added several more interesting birds to our growing list; elegant-crested tinamous, chimango caracaras, burrowing parrots, burrowing owls, and even Magellanic penguins were all sighted and photographed. Upon leaving the estancia we were even graced with sightings of the hairy armadillo, one of the stranger animals of the day.
The afternoon was reserved for whales, and what whales we encountered! Leaving the small port town of Puerto Pirámides we ventured out in local whale watching boats into Golfo Nuevo, an important calving and mating ground for southern right whales. Whales were sprinkled here and there throughout the bay, mostly mothers with calves born in the last few weeks. Here in protected waters the whales seemed as curious about us as we were about them with several whales approaching our small boats.
A relatively new relationship has developed here in the last 25 years or so between southern right whales and kelp gulls, much to the irritation of the whales. Kelp gulls are actually utilizing the whales as a source of food, aggressively attacking the surfacing whales and tearing into their backs, ripping out chunks of flesh in the process. The problem has gotten to the point where provincial authorities are actually starting to cull the culprits. Open season on kelp gulls, combined with controlling local garbage dumps, should have an immediate impact on the birds and give the whales a much needed respite.
