Patagonia Sea Wildlife

Wild and unforgiving, the Atlantic coast of Patagonia is an example of raw and untamed natural beauty. Wildlife lives here – in the frigid seas and windswept land – in some of the healthiest numbers on the planet.

The Valdes Peninsula is a land of vast steppes and rugged coastline. In this remote corner of Patagonia, wildlife viewing is super-sized. Magellanic penguins come to Punta Tombo during September to nest, not in handfuls, but in a rookery one million strong. The coast is littered with the great hulking bodies of southern elephant seals and sea lions, and across the plains guanacos and rheas run at staggering speeds. In the frothing navy waters, life abounds. June to December is when Southern Right Whales come to the sheltered waters to give birth and nurse their young. They venture so close to land that they can be seen from shore diving, tailing and splashing. Orcas too, choose these waters as their hunting grounds, soaring up deep channels to pluck plump seals from the beaches.

Oyikil Travel offers unforgettable wildlife-watching experiences in the Valdes Peninsula, but also to Bahía Bustamante close to the new Maritime Coast National Park, an excellent off-the-beaten path destination for avid nature lovers. Along a quiet estuary, Puerto Deseado offers its own dose of adventure. It is here that, from the comfort of a zodiac, visitors can approach the only Rockhopper Penguin colony in Patagonia.