Dolphins, Penguins, Whales and more; Wildlife Viewing on the Valdez Peninsula, Argentina

The Trip

The Valdes Peninsula, on the east coast of Argentina, is a land form that extends about 60 miles into the Atlantic Ocean and is connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. It is the northeastern part of the Patagonian Steppe, an area encompassing 300 miles of wild, windswept, steep cliffs and coastline, plus inland wetlands, salt flats, bodies of fresh water, sand dunes, and mud flats.

It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012 and flourishes as a nature reserve and wildlife center. Globally, it is the most important breeding ground of the graceful southern right whale and has large breeding populations of southern sea lions (also known as sea wolves), fur seals, and southern elephant seals. This is the only elephant seal breeding colony in Argentina and the beaches are packed with these animals congregating in large numbers to argue and annoy each other with their deep, loud voices. Orcas live here too and have developed the unique hunting method of intentionally beaching themselves to prey on the seal and sea lion offspring. Just south of the peninsula is an extensive colony of Magellanic penguins, unmistakable as “little men in tuxedos” who peep out of their ground nests to watch their mates run into the water to go fishing.

The inland ecosystems are diverse and provide varied habitats for the inland animals of Patagonia -- guanacos, rheas, foxes, armadillos, and maras. There are plenty of bird species to be found too. Over 180 species, many of which are migratory, have been recorded in various locations on the peninsula.

Our trip starts in Puerto Madryn, a town founded in 1865 by Welsh immigrants and the gateway for visitors to the Valdes Peninsula. After visiting a sea lion colony, a population of Commerson’s Dolphins, and the large penguin colony south of the town, we drive to the peninsula and to Puerto Pirimides, where our days will be spent watching marine and terrestrial wildlife, observing birds, and learning the culture and lifestyle of this unique and fascinating area. Once a salt mining port, Puerto Pirimides is the only town on the peninsula. However, there are working estancias scattered over other areas. Our final night will be spent back in Puerto Madrid.

Day 1: Plan to arrive at Trelew airport from Buenos Aires and transfer to the hotel in Puerto Madrid by 1:00 p.m. We will meet early afternoon for an orientation and then take a guided tour of Punta Loma and Cerro Avanzado Nature Reserve to visit the sea lion colony. Our welcome dinner will be at the hotel.

Day 2: From Puerto Madrid, we travel by private bus to the Punta Tombo Nature Reserve to see the Magellanic penguins. Other wildlife should abound, visible along the drive and on the shore-line. After lunch at an estancia, we’ll take a guided walk on the estancia’s nature reserve to see an elephant seal colony. We will return to Puerto Madryn by 7:00 in the evening. Dinner on your own in Puerto Madryn.

Day 3: We travel south again for an hour to visit the Palaeontological Museum (MEF), home of the largest dinosaur found in Patagonia, then after lunch we drive (1 hour) to the part of Rawson for a boat tour to observe pods of Commersons Dolphins, a subspecies found only in South America. They are small, chubby, black and white in Color and nick named “panda dolphins”.

Day 4: We take the long drive, some of it on dirt roads, to the Peninsula, watching for wildlife on the way. We may see whales, orcas, guanacos, various sea birds and more. After visiting the Carlos Ameghino Interpretation Center and a penguin colony, our bus takes us to our hotel in Puerto Pirimides. After a box lunch, we will have free time to take a walk on the beach and look for wildlife.

This evening, we will have a fascinating presentation from a local Patagonia NGO.

Day 5: Today, we drive to the most northern and eastern section of the coast to visit a penguin colony and view more wildlife (Elephant Seals, whales, Guanacos, Maras), returning after lunch at an estancia. We will have dinner at the hotel.

Day 6: A full day! We drive to Caleta Valdes and Punta Delgada for short coastal walks hoping to see Orcas hunting in the coastal lagoon. After lunch at an estancia, we will spend time at an Elegant Seal Colony and drive back to the hotel via the Salt Flats. These are a com-pletely different ecosystem, supporting many marine birds in breeding season. Dinner will be on your own at Puerto Pirimides.

Day 7: We have an exciting morning as we take a whale watching boat tour to see the Southern Right Whales. These baleen whales were hunted almost to extinction by whalers until the 1950s, but they have successfully recovered their numbers since then. (This activity may be on another day, depending on the weather and ocean conditions. Our schedule is very flexible). After a typical Argentinian lunch of emapanadas and salad, we will take our bus back to Puerto Madryn, with a short stop at El Doradillo Nature Reserve. There will be free time here to explore the town, walk the waterfront, take a beer or glass of wine in a cafe, and practice your Spanish! Farewell dinner in a local restaurant.

Day 8: After breakfast, we say goodbye to our travel companions and this special place, and then return to Trelew airport to fly to Buenos Aires. 

The schedule may change depending on weather and other circumstances out of the lead-er’s control. As always with international travel, it is important to be patient and have a flexible attitude, particularly in the relaxed South American culture.

Getting There

The trip starts and ends in Trelew. All flights to and from Argentina and the U.S. are overnight to the international airport (EZE) just outside Buenos Aires. Flights from there to Trelew will be either from EZE or the domestic airport (AEP) in Buenos Aires. As EZE airport is in the middle of extending all its terminals, it is not possible to predict which airport will have flights to Trelew.

Approved participants will be sent extensive travel details by the leader. 

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Accommodations will be in double rooms with private bathrooms, at comfortable, pleasant hotels. They will be locally owned establishments, but not 5-star luxury resorts! 

Meals in Argentina are prepared when ordered with fresh ingredients that are mostly locally sourced. It is perfectly safe to drink tap water and of course, there is excellent beer and wine. It is easy to accommodate vegetarians, but not vegans.

Argentinians do not eat meals until very late – 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. (I don’t know when they sleep!), so many restaurants do not open until 7:00 p.m. It is important to be able to fit in with this lifestyle and be flexible with changes from your usual routine.

Trip Difficulty

This is not a very active trip, but it is important to be in good health and good shape. We will take numerous short hikes, depending on the location of the wildlife -- the longest of which is about 3 miles. The terrain is rugged and we may have fierce winds and possibly rain. We will be outside in all weathers, providing it is safe for the group. We will also have a lot of travel time to the various locations, often on winding dirt roads.

Equipment and Clothing

The leader will send approved participants a packing list. Strong, waterproof hiking shoes or boots, and good rain gear are essential.

References

Movies:

• "El Faro des Orcas." Filmed on the Valdes Peninsula. 
• "The Motorcycle Diaries." Che Guevara’s travels around South America on a motorcycle.

Books:

• Moss, Chris, Patagonia. A wonderful book on the whole area, including nature, history, and culture.
• Rossi, Jasmine, The Wild Shores of Patagonia; The Peninsular Valdes and Punta Tombo.
• Chatsworth, Bruce, In Patagonia.
• National Geographic Magazine, April 2020. An article on Doug and Kris Tompkins and their conservation work in Patagonia.

Conservation

Peninsula Valdes is an iconic example of wildlife preservation breeding areas. Unfortunately, there are very few such areas in the world. The NGO Conservation Patagonica, founded by Kris Tompkins, is responsible for the formation of national parks in Patagonia. Their latest project is the formation of a marine park just south of the penguin colony and the Peninsula. Their work will be discussed on the trip in great detail as it has been exemplary in all aspects of conservation.

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.