Nature is Imagination
Península Valdés is located north east of Chubut Province in Argentina. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999 and covers over 800,000 acres about 40 metres below sea level making it one of the lowest elevations in Argentina.
A drive through the peninsula initially reveals a barren land, but soon you see an abundance of rheas, guanacos and maras in the distance. The predominant vegetation is stepped with a diversity of low shrubs making this quite a unique landscape.
Where the land seems barren the coastline is alive with marine mammals like fur seals, sea lions and gigantic elephant seals that can dive up to 5,000 feet, deeper than any whale on earth. Between May and December southern right whales enter the gulf to mate and give birth and their entertaining acrobatic jumps can be seen at Caleta Valdés and Playa Doradillo from the shore.
Every year the Orca or killer whale returns to the gulf to perform a spectacular hunting technique. Speeding up to 25 miles an hour in the right conditions Orcas can beach their entire body weight to snatch sea lions. The best spots to film the hunt are during high tide at Caleta Valdés and Punta Delgada from September to November and Punta Norte from February to April.
The beauty of Península Valdés
Photos and content by Tharien Pieterse, ForestNation Ambassador and Founder and travel writer at Travel Muti.
