Patagonia
The
Call of the whales
5 Days / 4 Nights
5 Days / 4 Nights
11:10 hrs. Flight Puerto Montt - Bariloche. (Argentina) 13:50 hrs. Arrival at airport Bariloche, (one hour ahead catch connecting flight at 16:00 hrs.) Flight to Puerto Madryn, with stop in Esquel.
20:00 hrs. Arrival in Puerto Madryn. Transfer to the Hotel, located in front of the sea. We will have dinner in a restaurant located within three blocks of the Hotel with a great view to the sea. Overnight. This city is located in the northeastern region of the Chubut county, (Argentina) besides the New Gulf. It has a temperate-arid climate. When you walk around the city you will discover that the tin, wood, bricks and pottery form materials that left its style in Madryn. You should not miss; Pujol House, Oceanographic Museum and the Museum of Natural Science, the Railway station, the Toschke house and the Luis Piedrabuena Pier.
Breakfast and trip all day to Península Valdéz. Strong winds, desolated roads, hot and cold weather, stunning blue skies, Patagonian desolation, and pure nature can be experienced in Península Valdés reserve. Departure at 8:00 hrs. from the Hotel and after travelling 77 Km, you will arrive at Itsmo Carlos Ameghino, the gate to the Península Valdés reserve. The interpretation Centre, which depends on the Tourism Secretariat is located here, an ideal place to receive information about flora, fauna, geography, and history of the area. Puerto Pirámide, a tourist village, lies 25km ahead. From Puerto Pirámides you will be able to board a ship and start your whale watching adventure. And now it is up to you ...The spray of the gulf: THE SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALE, excites you with each jump and each tailing. One of the most outstanding characteristics is the way in which they exhale, columns of air and water emerge forming a V which can be observed from a distance of some kilometers .
The SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALE has been considered a "Natural Monument". There is a population of 23094 in the seas of the southern hemisphere, but fewer than 4000 of the whales in the mild Antarctic waters. Every year 600 individuals reach the Nuevo and San José gulfs (May trough December) though the population of the Península Valdes area is estimated at 1.200 animals. This whales bears a calf every three years, being sexually mature when they are between 7 and 17 years old. Females reach a length of 13 meters when they are sexually mature. Males are shorter. Calves are about 4,5 and 5,5 meters long and approximately three tons at birth. They grow at a rate of 3,5 centimeters a day and will reach a length of 12-16 meters and a weight of 50-55 tons.
The whole year round the Hairy sea Lion can be found in Puerto Pirámides . We continue the trip visiting: Punta Cantor and Caleta Valdéz, one of the biggest elephant seal sancturies in the world. This is the only continental territory where this species is found. The southern elephant seal has a sub antarctic distribution and it is estimated that the elephant seal population is 700 thousand individuals, among which 20 thousand arrive between August and March to breed and change their skin. The elephant seal belongs to the family of the fócidos; they differ from other pennipeDAYns since they have no external ear and their hind flippers are turned backwards and on land they can only creep. The male differs from the female as its nose looks like a trunk. They attain length of 5 meters and some of them weigh between 3 and 4 tons. The females however, are only 3 meters long and they weigh less than 1 ton. The elephant seals are polygamous and possess harems of up to ten females. They are excellent swimmers and divers, and during eight months they rarely leave the sea to rest. While they are in the beach they do not feed and they should not move too much, since this causes loss of energy that they cannot recover easily. For this reason while you visit them, do not scream or drive too close to them. Respect them in their nature. Do not forget that this is one of the few places of the world that still conserves the intact characteristics that more than 160 years ago astonished Charles Darwin. 5 Km. From the Itsmo, you will find the Isla de los Pájaros with an important sea birds reserve. Obtain information in its Interpretation center, where you will be able to admire the island in detail trough a viewfinder. Do not miss the replica of the Fuerte la Candelaria chapel, the first Spanish settlement in Península Valdes. Later we have dinner and overnight in Hotel.
Day 3 - Pto-Madryn
Half-day trip to Punta Loma, one of the most important posts of the
hairy sea lions. It is located 17 km. from Madryn. It is a species that
can be found in Atlantic and Pacific coasts, from the south of Brazil
to Peru, and it is usually seen in the Península Valdes the whole year
round. These pinnipeds belong to the family of otarids; they move on land
using both their front and back limbs. The males are dark grey and they
have a mane. They attain a length of 2,3 meters and the females 1,80 m.
The males weigh 359 kilos and the females 100 kilos. The pups are born
at the end of December or beginning of January; they are black and they
bleat like sheep. Young sea lions, which are not sexually mature can be
seen during the whole year. Later we have dinner and overnight in the
Hotel.
Free day to relax or walk in Madryn, you could go for shopping. Optional: to visit an Galician tea house in Gaimán. Dinner and overnight.
Flight from Puerto Madryn at 9:55 o'clock . We will arrive in Bariloche at 12:15 hrs. From the airport we will be picked up and be transfered to Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas crossing the route Cardinal Zamoré. On the road we will have very beautiful views to the snow capped peaks of the Andean mountain. End of our services.
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