Puerto Madryn
Duration 7 to 8 hs
PUERTO MADRYN – PUNTA TOMBO
A half-million Magellanic penguins are waiting for you in Punta Tombo, South America’s largest penguin colony.
This tour begins with a two-hour drive to the Punta Tombo peninsula in the Argentinean province of Chubut. There you will find hundreds of thousands of Magellanic penguins. The two-mile long, 1,969-feet-wide peninsula is covered with sand, clay and gravel.
Between September and April, a large number of Magellanic penguins come to this site to incubate their eggs, and prepare their offspring for migration – the largest such colony in South America. Couples stand in front of their nests, protecting the eggs from birds and other predators, and occasionally one adult goes to the sea for food.
Other wildlife encountered in the area includes sea birds (mainly seagulls, chimangos and cormorants), rheas and guanacos.
As you walk along the trail inhabited by penguins on both sides, you will be able to observe the different phases of these birds’ lives. Because of the proximity of the path to the nests, visitors may enjoy and learn from the penguin behavior. The path has benches for visitors to be able to rest and enjoy the view in this isolated place, far from towns and free of human interventions in the landscape.
After this once-in-a-lifetime experience, the tour returns to Puerto Madryn and your ship.
Please note: The length of your stay at the penguin reserve will be determined by the tour guide according to the ship’s sailing time and following the circulation policies imposed by the reserve administration (usually no more than 90-100 minutes per group). There will also be an opportunity for a snack/lunch (at your own expense).
PUERTO MADRYN – PENISULA VALDEZ
The Valdes Peninsula is an important nature reserve that was first listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. After passing the El Desempeo checkpoint, the tour arrives at the Carlos Ameghino Interpretation Center at the Isthmus Ameghino, 40 miles away from Puerto Madryn.
The center has an excellent collection of and information about historical events that took place here, the ecosystems of the area, and the regional flora and fauna.
The excursion continues on gravel roads heading to Caleta Valds, where you can see the southern elephant seals, considered to be the worlds largest seals. There are different hiking paths and several levels of balconies where you can position yourself to enjoy the landscape and the animals to the very fullest.
Here you will also have an opportunity to have lunch (at your own expense).
Time permitting there will be a short visit to see the penguins nesting on a cliff nearby (please note that they can only be observed through a fence).
At Caleta Valds and Punta Norte, you may be fortunate enough to watch orcas hunting for sea lions or seal pups on the shore, in a unique technique they developed by stranding themselves on the beach.
Time permitting there will also be a short visit to the Punta Norte Sea Lion reserve, where the typical terrestrial fauna species that inhabit the region (guanacos, maras, choiques, foxes, armadillos, etc.) can be observed, as well as two salt flats –the most important depressions of South America.