What animals can you see in Peninsula Valdes

Puerto Madryn is known for the extraordinary  fauna   that can be found in its coastal, marine and terrestrial habitats.

Several of the mammals that can be seen pass during their migrations, or live all year round in Peninsula Valdés. Some can be seen from viewpoints, on excursions and on the coast of the peninsula, others must be sought in specific places where they enjoy the tranquility of nature such as  Punta Norte, Caleta Valdés, Golfo San José and Punta Nymphs. 

Here are all the species that you will be able to see:

There are 11 species of whales of which two are known as right whales. The  Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena Australis) lives in the southern hemisphere, and the Southern Right whale lives in the north.

Whales are mammals, and therefore, they breathe air, keep body temperature stable, give birth to their young and nurse them. Despite their size, they feed on small organisms of a few millimeters.

The head occupies 25% of the length of its body that is covered in some areas by showy keratin calluses. These calluses are different in each of them, so they can be used to identify them, as well as fingerprints in humans. Crustaceans known popularly as "whale lice" also live on their skins.

Their skin is black with white spots on the belly. Their breath is expelled by two spiracles that they draw in the air with two jets in V. Another characteristic of the southern right whale is the baleen that they present inside their mouth, they are essential for their feeding because they obtain it by filtering large quantities of seawater thanks to the barbs and thus separating crustaceans such as  krill , their main food.

Females are reproductive when they reach 13 meters, that is, at 3 or 4 years. For their part, males only reach 12 meters. The maximum length observed in specimens in Península Valdés is  16 meters   for females and 15 meters for males. They can weigh up to  40,000 kilos . The calves (calves) are born with about five meters in length and can weigh about 5 tons.

Regarding reproduction, the gestation is 12 months, and the female breastfeeds her young for a similar period. She has a calf every three years, at which time they return to the Valdés Peninsula. They are rarely seen there during the years between each calving. On the other hand, the males tend to return to the place every year.

Right whales are distributed between 20 ° and 64 ° south latitude. During the breeding season (fall to spring) their populations congregate off the coasts of South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The right whales that are sighted in  Peninsula Valdés belong to the Southwest Atlantic population that is distributed off the coasts of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. At the end of the breeding and reproduction season, they head towards foraging areas, the South Georgia Islands and along the Patagonian Sea. 

The world population is estimated at only 3,000 individuals. Since 1970, more than 1,300 whales have been identified in Patagonia. Each year around 130 adults and 30 calves are added to the list.

The Patagonian population of the Southern Right whale is growing at a rate of 7.6% per year and is one of the most important populations of the world for a rare species.

For centuries and until a few decades ago they were exposed to intense hunting. Today they are protected by international standards and their hunting is prohibited by law. In Argentina they are a National Natural Monument.

It is believed that Southern Right Whales live on average  50 years   in the wild, but information is scarce and there are examples of Similar species that live up to 100 years of age.

The Southern Right Whale can be seen in Peninsula Valdés from mid July to December. Excursions from whale watching depart from the beach of  Puerto Pirámides with boats and guides that will teach you everything about these gigantic sea creatures: reproduction, their behavior, gestation, feeding and even the rearing of the calf. During the excursion, the "Patagonian Technique" is used, which allows you to navigate with the whales, see how they pass under the boat and approach impressive distances. The browsing time is 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

Another very option fun to see these gigantic mammals under the sea is the  underwater watching . In addition to seeing them under the sea from the cabin, you will also be able to see them jump and make morisquettes from the outside. While they remain close, they can be observed at all times through the 40 windows of the underwater cabin. On board, passengers can circulate freely and also opt for the deck of the ship to see them from the surface of the water as in a traditional sighting. The excursion lasts 1 hour 30 minutes.

You can also do the excursion through Peninsula Valdés with whale watching where, in addition to being able to do the traditional whale watching, you will be able to learn all about the fauna, flora and geology of the Peninsula. They will take you to the Itsmo Carlos Ameghino Interpretation Center, Caleta Valdés, Punta Cantor and Punta Norte. At these points you will also meet other mammals such as sea elephants, orcas and sea lions.

The one-haired sea lion is also known as the South American sea lion and its scientific name is otaria flavescens. Its name is due to the fact that it has a single coat of hair.

It feeds on different types of fish, squid and octopus. It is one of the largest species of sea lion: adult males can weigh  350 kilos  and measure 2.3 meters long. The females do not exceed 200 kilos and are golden brown. The pups weigh between 10 and 14 kilos at birth. 

Other differences between males and females is that the latter have extremely large and bulging heads and necks. . The color of the males is dark brown and the hair on the neck is longer than that of the rest of the body, which gives them a leonine appearance (which is why they are also known as sea lions). 

Adult males lead harem lives and compete aggressively for control. Breeding is from December to February. The most successful males do it with 5 and up to 10 females per season. These females give birth to a single calf in that period.

As harems are not stable, a male is unlikely to be the father of the young born in his harem, so while adult males do not mistreat these young, they do not care for them either. It is the females who are in charge of their care and each one suckles only her own young. For this reason, if a calf loses its mother, it has little chance of survival.

One-haired sea lions live on the coasts of South America: from southern Brazil to Tierra del Fuego and to equatorial latitudes In the pacific. More than 100 groups were found on the Patagonian coast, 40 of which are reproductive and the rest are winter or are made up of young animals. The estimated population for the Patagonian coast is 70,000 animals.

A 5 kilometers from Puerto Pirámides is the sea lion, where a through a viewpoint you can see the fur seals. If you go in the months of December and March you are going to observe them in their reproduction and breeding moment. You can reach the wolfhouse by car or on foot from the village of Puerto Pirámides. Another option is to see the sea lion with the summer nautical walk, where you will be able to observe them a short distance from the boat. There is also the Punta Loma wildlife reserve, another important settlement of fur sea lions. It is located 17 kilometers from the urban area of Puerto Madryn. Upon arrival there is a path with interpretive signs that lead to the viewpoints, where you can enjoy beautiful views of the sea and the colony of sea lions.

You can also take the boat rides that leave from the Madryn beach for snorkelling or do buceo. In both excursions you will be able to see how they live and play underwater without interfering with their natural habits. The  Punta Loma  reserve can be visited all year round, taking into account the low tide hours.  

The  orcas   (Orcinus orca) are mammals belonging to the order of cetaceans, but unlike whales have teeth . They are characterized by having a predominantly black color, except for the belly and a dorsal fin with a white spot. Their nickname "Killer Whales" comes from the Spanish whalers who watched them attack and kill large cetaceans. Despite their terrible nickname, orcas are not usually aggressive towards humans. In fact, no cases of attacks on humans in the wild were recorded.

Killer whales are highly intelligent animals, they live in family groups and are able to communicate to coordinate hunting tactics on their prey. In addition, they are great swimmers and can reach speeds of 50 km/h.

Their length varies between 8 and  9.5 meters , the males weigh 9 tons and the females around 5 tons. Their powerful tail fin allows them to propel themselves forward and through the pectoral fins they achieve the stability and direction they need when feeding on the coast.

These mammals are distributed in all the oceans of the world, from polar waters to tropical ones (although they tend to prefer cold and temperate waters), and from coastal areas to the open sea.

They are not migratory animals like whales, but they do move to areas where their prey is more abundant, which in practice can lead them to travel great distances.

Orcas have a reputation for voracious “killer whales” that respond to their eating habits that include not only fish but also other mammals, like   sea lions, sea turtles, seals, sharks and even penguins . When these mammals hunt, they share the food they obtain with the members of their family.

The group of Orcas that occur in the Valdés Peninsula only approaches the coast to feed on baby sea lions and elephant seals. This group developed the capture technique called  “intentional stranding” : the killer whale swims towards the shoreline, stranding almost two-thirds of its length on it, in order to catch a wolf or a sea elephant , and returns to the sea moving the live prey to share it with the members of his group. This region is the only one in the world where the killer whale behaves like this.

The appearance of the killer whales is quite unpredictable, but generally they can be found in  Punta Norte, Caleta Valdés and the Golfo San José , where they go to hunt sea lions and elephant seals. They can be seen mainly from February to April and from October to November when their prey are in the breeding season.

In  Punta Norte   and  Caleta Valdés   you can see them from the viewpoints by swimming close to the coast to hunt penguins, elephants and sea lions. If you want to observe the technique they use to hunt, keep in mind that it occurs only once a day, between two hours before and two hours after high tide. 

The elephant seals have two species differentiated by their geographical location. One to the north that is distributed by the west coast of North America, and another known as the south, in the southern part of the American continent and Oceania. The latter is the one with the largest males with up to 6 meters long and four tons in weight, they are the largest pinnipeds. The population of Peninsula Valdés is the northernmost of the southern species. It is also the only continental roost for elephant seals (Mirounga Leonina) in the world. The southern elephant seal species has a subantarctic distribution and its population is estimated at 700 thousand individuals, of which 20 thousand arrive between  August and March to the Valdés Peninsula   to reproduce and shed their skin .

This pinniped is the largest marine animal that comes out on these coasts to live its reproduction and breeding stage. At the end of August the first males begin to arrive to mark their territory and form the harems, as the females arrive. The pregnant women arrive first to the coast and after a few days they give birth to a calf. During the lactation period, the mother fasts and consumes all her fat reserves. After suckling and the reproductive season, the elephants spend two months feeding in the sea.

There are   500 harems   of sea elephants in the 200 kilometers of the sea coast of Peninsula Valdés, females per harem range from 2 to 130 specimens. Only 14% are dominant males, registering a maximum of 15 copulations per day per individual. Another surprising fact is that 73% of births take place at night and the mortality rate of the offspring is 4.4%. Males weigh 4 tons, 8 times more than a sea lion and females  900 kilos . Mothers lose 13 kilos per day while feeding their son who gains 4 kilos in the same period. 

The sea elephants are all year round in Peninsula Valdés, they can be seen safely from the end of July to November in Punta Norte, Caleta Valdés and Punta Nymphs.  

If you are interested in getting to know a colony of elephant seals up close, you can do the excursion to Punta Ninfas, where you will walk very close to these animals to observe their characteristics and temperaments. The excursion is carried out with naturalists and the space is respected, since they are wild animals that are in a very fragile ecosystem. 

It is one of the small cetaceans that nbsp ; more abundant in the Argentine Sea and especially in Patagonia. He is an active and fast swimmer. It is one of the most acrobatic species of dolphins, they make incredible jumps and turns. When a dolphin begins to jump, the rest of the group often follows. They are  very curious  with boats and can be easily approached. They are very social and can be found in groups of hundreds of specimens. This characteristic, combined with its acrobatic behavior, makes the species  very popular in Puerto Madryn. 

They are frequently seen with other species of cetaceans and seabirds, such as sea lions and penguins. They usually cover great distances, but they are not a migratory species. They feed on anchovies on the surface, as well as squid and hake.

The dark dolphin is small and robust, has a small snout and a slightly rounded head. The dorsal region is dark gray, lightening towards the ventral part. The pectoral and tail fins are dark. It has lighter colors on the sides of the peduncle and the eyes are surrounded by a dark circular spot. The dorsal fin is falcate and sometimes slightly white at the base.

This species can live between 18 and 25 years. Their age of maturity reaches  4 years , when they begin to reproduce. The gestation period is 11 months and the weaning of their young is at 18 months.

The outings to spot these marine mammals are made on sailboats, boats and catamarans that navigate the New Gulf between December and April.

It is a small marine mammal of  1.7 meters in length , it can weigh up to 86 kilos. The head, dorsal and tail fin are black. The body and throat are white. The dorsal fin has a straight front edge that ends in a curve.  They do not have a beak . Males have a teardrop-shaped black spot on the belly, the mark of females is more rounded.

Common dolphins usually hunt at night. They use  echolocation   to find their prey, sometimes swimming upside down for better tracking  visual. When hunting in a group they can lower the fish to facilitate the gathering of prey.

It is believed that adults ingest 10% of their body weight daily. This is about twice what other species of dolphins consume. It is because its metabolic rate is 2 or 3 times higher than that of other species.

This mammal is   very friendly   with humans, play in the wake of the boats and come to see what the humans are doing. When they are grouped they travel in numbers ranging from two to one hundred individuals. The dolphins from Oviedo swim at speeds of up to 15km/h. 

Both females and males reach sexual maturity between 6 and 9 years of age. Mating occurs from September to February. The gestation period lasts 11 months. The calf weighs around 5 kilos at birth. The lactation period is 9 months. According to studies, dolphins can live up to 10 years in the wild. 

If you want to meet this curious mammal you can Do the  sighting of toninas in Puerto Madryn . The excursion departs from Playa Unión and for an hour you will be able to navigate alongside them accompanied by a guide who will tell you all their characteristics. Another option is to do  Punta Tombo with sighting of toninas , This excursion also leaves from Playa Unión but unlike the previous one, in addition to observing this species in its natural habitat, you will also have the opportunity to visit the most important penguin rookery in Latin America where the Magellanic penguins are found.

Guanacos (Lama Guanicoe) are mammals, relatives of llamas belonging to the order of   camelids , they humbly bear the title being the largest land vertebrates in Patagonia. It is distributed throughout the Andes from northern Peru, to the southern tip of South America. Currently, Argentina concentrates between 81 to 86% of the total continental population of guanaco, which is estimated at 2.2 million.

Before the arrival of the colonizers, the guanaco was a fundamental ally for the survival of the indigenous people who inhabited the Patagonia, providing meat as food and skin as shelter. 

With the colonization and development of the area, new animals arrived, one of them was the sheep. In order to breed and market it, they used inventions such as wire fences, private property, and later land parceling. The  guanaco  was displaced, like the natives, by this strategy of sheep wool production and came to decrease considerably. 

Two of the main characteristics of Guanacos is that they live in herds of dozens of individuals and are herbivores. Peninsula Valdés is a unique wildlife reserve, where hunting is prohibited. This law allowed that over the years the number of guanacos is much higher than the rest of Patagonia.

The guanaco has an incredible ability to jump over fences and it is common to find them on the walks and circuits of the Natural Reserve on the side of the route, where the herbaceous vegetation is much greater than within the fields. Their diet is mainly herbs, but they also consume moss and tubers. Guanacos are known for their defense mechanism, they have a great ability to spit, both saliva and herbs that they may be chewing. 

The height of guanacos It is  1.8 meters.   They are characterized by being the largest animals in Patagonia (except for marine mammals). Its weight is 100 kilos, but it can reach up to 140 kilos. Their coat is short, brown and of excellent quality. The diameter of the fiber ranges between 16 and 18 micrometers, and it is very light because, unlike sheep wool, it is hollow.

Regarding reproduction, the mating season occurs from November to February. The males then become aggressive and fight each other for the females. After eleven months of gestation, a single calf is born. The average life span is  20 to 25 years.

The cougar, mountain lion or American lion (Scientific name:  Puma   concolor) is a mammal  carnivore   of the Felidae family native to America. This feline lives in more places than any other wild land mammal on the continent, as it ranges from the Yukon in Canada to the southern Andes and Patagonia in South America. 

The cougar is adaptable and generalist, so it lives in main biomes of all America. It is the second largest felid in the American continent, after the jaguar, and the fourth largest in the world, along with the leopard after the tiger, and the lion. 

Its size is somewhat larger than the from irbis or "snow leopard", although it is more related to small cats, since, unlike the large cats of the genus Panthera that can roar, the puma purrs like smaller cats.

As a  hunter and predator   of ambush, the cougar obtains a wide variety of prey. Its  main food is camelids   such as guanaco and species as small as insects and rodents. 

Prefers habitat with dense vegetation during stalking hours, but can live in open areas. The puma is territorial and has a low population density. The extent of its territory depends on the vegetation and the abundance of prey. It is a solitary feline that generally avoids people. 

This exotic feline can be found at the La Esperanza shelter about  75 kilometers   north of the city of Puerto Madryn. In the refuge the presence of Pumas was practically continuous since 2000.

It is a   rodent   that only lives in the   Patagonia . They are enormous in size, they can measure up to 70 centimeters and are distinguished from the European hare mainly by the presence of a white stripe on the tail and by having small ears. The body is elongated and wider at the back. The head is large and angular, with large eyes and elongated ears.   The legs are long and thin , with strong and thick nails. The coat is short and dense. The general coloration is yellowish-brown, more grayish on the back, where it darkens to black on the haunches, which are crossed by a thick white stripe. 

It is mainly diurnal habits, with peaks of activity in the morning and afternoon, although in winter it is You can see it active only at noon and in summer at night. It is very gregarious, forming colonies of up to 70 individuals. The basic social structure within the colony is monogamous pairs, in which the male and the female always remain together, a few meters away from each other, keeping in contact through frequent vocalizations. 

The leader of the pair is the female, she initiates most of the activities and is supported by the male who continues to move around her. Sometimes the male stands on his hind legs and sprays the female with a strong stream of urine, marks the floor with the secretion of the anal glands and deposits his feces, delimiting a "mobile" territory around the female. If a stranger approaches his mate, the male adopts an intimidating attitude and if the intruder persists he attacks him with bites. 

He builds caves that he excavates with his strong front nails or conditions abandoned burrows. The caves are permanently inhabited by the smallest hatchlings, the juveniles, on the other hand, only use them for the night, while the adults take refuge under a nearby bush. When he rests, he chooses open places to spot a possible enemy from a distance. Faced with the slightest danger, he starts to run at high speed, reaching  60 to 80 km/hour   and can jump with all four legs at the same time, covering a distance of 2 meters in a single movement. It feeds on the leaves, stems, roots and bark of a wide variety of vegetables.

It reproduces 2 or 3 times a year, especially in mid-winter and during spring. Before copulation, the members of the couple develop a series of ritual behaviors that serve to strengthen their bonds. Gestation lasts 3 months. At term, an average of  2 young are born, which are already able to run within a few hours. Within the colony "nurseries" are organized where one or more females are cared for by the young while the mothers move away to feed. Lactation lasts for 8 to 11 weeks. Although the male remains close to his partner, he does not participate in the care of the young. The female reaches sexual maturity at 8 months.

Piche is familiar to the  mulita   and the furry one. He likes to snoop around for food all the time. It has very short ears and a grayish carapace with cream margins. It is covered by  few hairs . They are of solitary and diurnal customs. Their burrows are shallow and are generally located in sandy soils. The food diet includes insects, invertebrates, small vertebrates, plant matter and even carrion.

Pichi has the southernmost distribution of all  xenarthros . It can be found in central and southern Argentina and Chile. In Puerto Madryn it can be found in the grasslands and xerophilous scrub areas, as well as in the steppe areas of Peninsula Valdés. Always with sandy soils.

Pichis are small and hairy, they can be distinguished from other species by their pointed carapace and short ears. Their carapace color ranges from light yellow to almost black, with a clear dorsal line. Adults weigh approximately  1 kilo.

Pichis are solitary animals. Both sexes reach maturity at nine months of age, and the female gives birth to an annual litter of one or two young, after a gestation period of 60 days. It is the only snake species known to go into  hibernation during winter. 

The gray fox is  native to the southern region of South America , spreading from both sides of the Andes Mountains, between Argentina and Chile , to the central region of the South American Southern Cone, between Bolivia and Uruguay. In Argentina this species has a very wide distribution, concentrating mainly in the  semi-arid zones   of the center of the country, which includes the Pampas and Patagonian regions. 

The fox gray has a prominent size in relation to other foxes. Its body usually measures between 70 and 100 centimeters in total length in adulthood, counting on its tail that can be about 30 centimeters long. Their average body weight is calculated between  4 kilos , with females slightly smaller and thinner than males.

Its name refers to its coat color, which is usually grayish on its back and back. 

Without a doubt, the most outstanding and curious trait about the gray fox's behavior is its amazing  ability to climb   on trees and other surfaces. In fact, this is the only species of fox in which this behavior has been observed, which clearly helps it to escape possible predators and have a privileged view of its own habitat.

The breeding season of gray foxes usually occurs between the months of  August and October . These canids are monogamous and faithful to their partner, they are always with the same partner in each reproductive season, until one of the two dies. Likewise, they tend to go a long time without mating until they feel ready to choose a new mate.

The Gray Fox has  solitary, twilight and nocturnal habits.   For Shelter and raise her cubs uses furry caves or tree holes. It marks its territory with feces and urine. Its diet is very broad and opportunistic, it includes mammals, birds, eggs, reptiles, insects and a good proportion of fruits and vegetable matter.

In the  Peninsula Valdés   the skunks are  quite abundant , and they tend to approach the estancias and centers towns, especially in Punta Delgada. This skunk is not as social as other genus of skunks, usually a single individual lives in its own burrow. The gestation period is 42 days, and they can have from  2 to 5 young,   who suckle from the 3 pairs of teats that the female has, at three months the young are already feed themselves.

The skunk It has a hairless, pinkish rinary, short legs, a rather robust body, long tail and abundant fur. In the extremities it has very strong and curved claws. The male has a larger head   than the female. The general coloring of the body is black. Most of the individuals have two white bands that go from the head to the tail. It is characterized by having glands in the last portion of the  rectum  that secrete a substance with an unpleasant odor. They use it as a defense strategy,  spraying   predators (cougars, dogs, raptors).

Skunks inhabit in caves, cracks between stones and hollow logs in open areas (grasslands, rocky areas or desert areas). They can dig their own burrow or occupy that of other species.

They are omnivores, feeding mainly on roots, vegetables, larvae, coleopterans, arachnids, small birds, reptiles and amphibians, also rodents and carrion.

Males and females meet once a year. The female has a gestation period of 42 days and 2 to 5 young can be born in the spring-summer months.

This species has solitary, twilight and nocturnal habits, if they find stable and well-protected shelter, can settle in groups of several individuals, generally related, remain until the juveniles mature and become independent. 

The Cuis Chico (Microcavia australis) is a mammal that  feeds on shoots of various plants, climbs branches nbsp ; from the bushes to reach the most tender leaves. At the time of heat that lasts about 5 hours, the female is chased by several males who copulate with her to fertilize her. In these small animals, gestation is slightly less than two months. They are very funny and elusive animals, although they can be seen frequently at different tourist attractions:  El Doradillo, Puerto Pirámides and Caleta Valdes.

He is quite small, has a short and rounded head, very large eyes, small ears and well marked neck. The chin is completely covered with hair. The legs are short, thin and have sharp nails. The coat is short and smooth. The back is olive-gray slightly mottled with black, the belly is whitish or yellowish, and the throat has a broad grayish band. The eyes are surrounded by a well-defined white ring. The incisors are white.

It is diurnal   and although it is basically terrestrial, it is frequently observed climbing bushes and trees looking for food. It lives in numerous colonies where adult males maintain a strict linear hierarchy determined through fighting and violent behavior. The females, on the other hand, are less aggressive and more tolerant. In areas where vegetation is abundant it takes refuge under dense and stunted bushes. If the vegetation cover is scarce, it uses abandoned caves or builds its own burrows several meters long, about 8 centimeters in diameter and numerous exits. 

It emits a series of alarm calls similar to  chirps and screeches . Its  herbivorous diet   is composed of leaves, stems, young shoots, seeds, fruits and flowers.

Se It reproduces all year long , but in less favorable places it does so only in spring and summer. To gain access to the females, the males engage in aggressive combats, which can even end with the death of the defeated. This is more evident when a female is about to give birth, since immediately after giving birth she goes into heat and therefore up to 6 males begin to chase her while violently assaulting each other. Gestation lasts about 54 days and the size of the litter is on average 3 young, weighing 30 grams and are capable of running and eating solid food from the first day. 

Lactation extends for 20 to 23 days and the young can be suckled by other lactating females. Juveniles are accepted into the colony up to one month of age, but then especially males are expelled from the group by adults.  The female becomes sexually mature at 2 months of age.

If you are a lover of wild animal watching, contact us and we will organize a trip for you so that you can see as much fauna as possible.