Global Courant
A few minutes after embarking in Puerto Pirámides, the eye already learns to recognize the silhouette of the whales on the Chubut sea horizon. Then we look for groups of seagulls flying over the waves, or we recognize the blowing in the form of a “v”.
Suddenly, we spot the first southern right whale: at first a dark fin appears a few meters away, and then its large head with whitish calluses emerges. “They work like fingerprints: they form a unique pattern that allows them to be individualized. What are they? They are small crustaceans called cyamids”, explains the guide.
The landscape is framed by sand-colored cliffs, including a pyramidal one (hence the name of the place). We sail through the Golfo Nuevo and the water looks like a blue lake. Fortunately, there is no wind on this winter morning, so we forget about the biggest setback that the excursion could have to go in search of the giant cetaceans.
The excursions on board allow you to enjoy the whales swimming a few meters away. Photo Tourism Entity Puerto Madryn
This year, the official whale watching season began in mid-June thanks to the six companies that organize the trips from Puerto Pirámides, some 100 kilometers from Puerto Madryn.
The season runs from June to December, although some specimens arrive in May to start the period of reproduction, breeding and suckling. In general, around 2,000 whales arrive at the Valdés Peninsula Protected Natural Area (APN), which was declared a World Heritage Site and holds the titles of RAMSAR Site and Biosphere Reserve.
“We have to be patient because we are visiting animals in their natural habitat. See the watermark? There’s a whale circling here.” The guide points to the sea, where you can see a white whale almost 5 meters long and weighing 3 tons. As he tells us, the newborn is fed with breast milk for the first year and drinks 150 liters per day!
“In five months, when the calf leaves with its mother, its dimensions will triple. In the first weeks, it grows more than 100 kilos per day”, the guide specifies, while the mother of the creature appears to the delight of the passengers.
Wearing the standard life jackets and bundled up with hats and gloves, everyone takes photos and films every movement of the animals.
The southern right whale season is from June to December. Photo Tourism Entity Puerto Madryn
At one point, they advise tourists: “It’s fine to record the experience with cell phones, but try to contemplate the whales for a few minutes with your own eyes because it is a unique spectacle in the world.”
The water is crystal clear and allows you to see when the cetaceans approach. The females can measure up to 17 meters and weigh about 40 tons, and the males are around 15 meters.
Regarding their behavior, the southern right whales come to these gulfs (Nuevo and San José) due to their geographical characteristics: the water temperature is ideal for calving, the coastal cliffs protect them from strong winds and, by moving away from the open sea, they are safe from killer whales.
Unique experience
“Each outing is different and represents a unique experience.” As soon as we arrived at the town of Puerto Pirámides, the company in charge of the first outing insisted on this concept, but only on the second navigation did we fully understand it. For this reason, those who have already made sightings will not regret it if they embark again.
Scallops au gratin and shellfish are among the most ordered dishes in restaurants. Photo Tourism Entity Puerto Madryn
After lunching scallops au gratin, lamb, and catch of the day at El Refugio, we headed out to the sun high and some wind on our faces. We do a kind of visual survey and we always count at least ten whales in all directions: we see them jumping, belly up or with their tails out of the water. That is the favorite figure of photographers and artisans: cups, mates, wooden boards and even chocolates in the shape of “whale tails” are sold in the Madryn shop windows and in the handicrafts fair.
“After a deep dive, the southern right emerges almost vertically, raising two-thirds of its body above the surface to land on its side or back.” In an hour and a half of navigation, the guides are always explaining different behaviors of the cetaceans. A tourist asks why they jump and the answer is broad: “They communicate with each other, get rid of parasites, show their strength and also… play.”
Great curiosity arouses the breathing of whales, which is why they tell us that they have two external orifices on the top of their heads. And since they have powerful muscles that close the openings to prevent water from entering their lungs, when they exhale they emit two columns of humid air and steam in the shape of a “v”.
Those blows can reach up to 5 meters, making it one of the easiest ways to identify them. “For centuries, whales were hunted for the oil that was produced with their fat, and this species was quickly trapped by several factors: their breathing, their slow movements, and because they float when they die. The whales illuminated Europe”, reflects the guide about the times of greatest global exploitation.
The tail of a whale in Puerto Pirámides.
At present, there are different migratory groups: in the Southwestern Atlantic they come from the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica and travel along the Argentine, Uruguayan and southern Brazilian coasts. And there are also groups in the seas of southern Africa or Australia, but they never cross the Equator line.
These excursions offer the great opportunity to see these animals in the wild. Another original option is the Yellow Submarine proposal, “the only semi-submersible that offers underwater sightings of southern right whales.”
The service is mixed, since cetaceans can be seen from the surface and under the sea, as if the passengers were diving alongside them. Between July and October, there are daily departures for an hour and a half, with 40 underwater observation windows.
The El Doradillo Protected Natural Area is one of the strategic sites for sightings from the beach. Photo Tourism Entity Puerto Madryn
from the beach
It is enough to take a deep breath and look at the sea for whales to appear everywhere. 15 km from the city, the El Doradillo Protected Natural Area is one of the strategic places to make sightings from the beach, free of charge and without the need to hire an excursion.
When the tides rise, Las Canteras beach is the perfect point to contemplate the natural spectacle.
It is a seamless plan: with the mate team, families and groups of friends arrive in the middle of the afternoon and wait for sunset on the beach, watching the leaps of these giants less than 20 meters from the shore. Suddenly, three whales whiz past and we run alongside, trying to register the moment. But not even the photographer with the biggest lens manages to fully convey what he experienced.
For those who do not want to drive or take public transportation to El Doradillo, there are excursions that include transfers, an explanatory walk about the flora and fauna of the region, and a snack on the beach with the whales swimming as an unbeatable backdrop.
The little fox roams in the Patagonian steppe of Chubut. PD photo
“The plants of the Patagonian steppe have adapted to survive in a dry climate, very windy and with extreme temperatures. For this reason, the bushes are low, rounded in shape, with thorns and in opaque tones.” When the guide offers us to smell a thyme, we see a hole in the ground and several footprints. Everything has an explanation: “It is the cave of a rodent called tucu tucu and the footprints…”. He doesn’t finish the sentence because the person responsible just appears: a fast little fox, but used to tourism.
In the steppe there are also maras (large rodents that inhabit Patagonia), rheas (a species of rhea from the South) and many guanacos, which were previously hunted by the Tehuelches to eat their meat and keep their skin warm.
These animals have almost no predators, since few pumas remained: the ranchers killed the majority because they ate the lambs. It is that in the region there are dozens of private ranches with Merino sheep.
Sea lions approach tourists snorkeling in Punta Loma. Photo Tourism Entity Puerto Madryn
Dance with (sea) wolves
Puerto Madryn has its own wildlife calendar: penguins arrive in September and stay all summer, dolphin sightings take place from December to March, and orca strandings are most often seen in March and April. Instead, throughout the year there are sea lions on the coast.
17 km south of Madryn, the Punta Loma Protected Natural Area is a permanent colony for South American sea lions.
And despite the cold water, this is the right place to practice snorkeling (or snorkeling) with dozens of these curious and playful animals.
Snorkeling with sea lions, an activity that can be done all year round in Punta Loma. Puerto Madryn Tourism Board
The excursions leave very early, at the most convenient time in terms of tides and wind.
Before dawn and under a reddish sky, the passengers board the boat clad in a neoprene “dry suit”, designed to keep the water out, and for 50 minutes they all swim with the snorkel alongside the friendly wolves. The guides help permanently and take photos underwater.
Before or after the tours, it is worth visiting the Ecocentro Pampa Azul, an interpretation site with a good coffee and excellent panoramic views. In the distance, the whales always jump on the horizon.
Puerto Madryn. Special Envoy
The Ecocentro, recently remodeled. Photo Tourism of Puerto Madryn
MINIGUIDE
How to get. Airfare to Puerto Madryn costs from $42,200. Aerolíneas Argentinas and Flybondi fly.
Where to stay A room in a 3-star hotel costs from $17,500 for a double; in 4 stars, from $32,000. Rates until 8/31.
excursions
-Whale watching until 8/31 costs $25,000 per person; $12,500 for minors.
-Excursion in the Yellow Submarine semi-submersible, $50,000 per person; boys pay half.
-Snorkeling with sea lions in Punta Loma, $39,000.
It is worth visiting the Ecocentro Pampa Azul, in Madryn. Photo Tourism Entity Puerto Madryn
-Entrance to the Protected Natural Area (APN) of Península Valdés, $3,100; $1,500 for minors.
-Entrance to the APNEl Doradillo and Punta Loma, free.
-Entrance to the Ecocentro, $1,200; minors and retirees, $600.
Where to find out: madryn.travel