Southern Right Whale - Extraordinary Maritime Scenes

Giantic Owners of the Southern Sea

In autumn, the giant Southern Right Whales take possession of the waters at Peninsula de Valdes. When the intensely blue waters of the gulfs begin to fill with black spots it is the sign that the whales have come. This is the time for one of the most extraordinary scenes of maritime mating and of tender scenes between mothers and babies.

The Golfo Nuevo and Golfo San Jose, surrounding the Peninsula Valdes in the Argentine province of Chubut, are the place chosen by the whales to procreate and to nurse their new born. To watch this incredible spectacle it is enough to get to Puerto Madryn- 1250 kilometers of Buenos Aires - or to Puerto Piramides 100 kilometers to the west of Puerto Madryn.

These animals come to the waters of Chubut to mate. The gestation lasts one year and the females give birth to a single baby each time. Two years following the birth, the whale mother devotes herself exclusively to her baby. During the first 12 months, she nurses it and does not separate from it. On the following year, she will teach her baby to manage by itself.

From the splendid beach of El Doradillo, 17 kilometers from Puerto Madryn on a dusty road, it is possible to easily observe from the car, how the mothers play with the whale calves for hours.

The Southern Right Whales begin to come to the coasts of Peninsula Valdes between May and June and they remain until November or December, time in which they emigrate towards the most southern seas in search of food.

One of the curiosities of the life of these marine mammals is the way they feed. They support the tons of their weight by means of microscopic food that are allowed to cross the beards that surround their mouths. The whales do not have teeth but beards and the tiny plankton particles enter the whale's body when they fill their mouths with water.

To do sightseeing of the whales it is necessary to travel to Puerto Piramides. Tourism companies offer complete trip packages, including the transfer from Puerto Madryn. The midday jaunt includes only the transfer and the sightseeing. The full day jaunt includes trips to the rest of the Peninsula de Valdés, visiting colonies of sea lions and marine elephants, in addition to natural bird reserves.

The sightseeing jaunt consists of a boat trip to approach the mammals. It is forbidden to touch them or to approach too closely. Anyway, it is absolutely awesome to remain in the sea with all these giants around.

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