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Home / Argentina / Peninsula Valdés

Whale & wildlife coast · Argentina

Peninsula Valdés

A UNESCO wildlife coast — southern right whales, orcas, penguins, sea lions and elephant seals.

Getting there

From Puerto Madryn / Trelew (REL), on the Atlantic coast of Patagonia

Best for

Southern right whales, orca strandings, Magellanic penguins, elephant seals, sea lions

The land

A UNESCO peninsula of cliffs and bays on the Atlantic coast of Patagonia

Good to know

Orcas here famously beach themselves to take sea lion pups — a behaviour seen almost nowhere else

What it is

Peninsula Valdés is Argentina's great wildlife coast — a UNESCO peninsula of whales, orcas, penguins and seals on the Atlantic shore of Patagonia.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Peninsula Valdés is one of South America's richest marine-wildlife sites: southern right whales calving in the bays (June–December), the famous orcas that strand themselves on the beach to seize sea lion pups, huge colonies of Magellanic penguins, elephant seals, sea lions, and guanacos and rheas on the steppe behind.

PhotoPeninsula Valdés — whale & wildlife coast.

The reason to come

The whale coast

Valdés packs an extraordinary cast of marine wildlife onto one Atlantic peninsula.

Southern right whales

Mothers and calves in the bays, from boats and shore (June–December).

The beaching orcas

Orcas charging the beach to take sea lion pups — a unique spectacle.

Penguins & seals

Magellanic penguin colonies, elephant seals and sea lion haul-outs.

Worth knowing

Orcas on the beach

Nowhere else can you reliably watch orcas deliberately strand on the sand to hunt — a Valdés signature.

PhotoA southern right whale off Peninsula Valdés.

When to come — honestly

A seasonal wildlife coast.

June – December

Best

Southern right whale season, peaking September–November with calves in the bays.

February – April

Best

The famous orca-beaching season at Punta Norte.

Year-round

Good

Penguins, sea lions and steppe wildlife are present much of the year.

The headline species are seasonal — whales June–December, beaching orcas around Feb–April; plan around what you most want to see.

Context

Patagonia's Atlantic wildlife

Valdés is the marine-wildlife counterpoint to Patagonia's mountains — whales, orcas and penguins on the Atlantic coast.

It is a destination in its own right, away from the Andean circuits.

We base Valdés wildlife from Puerto Madryn, timed to the whale or orca seasons.

Beyond the obvious

More to Peninsula Valdés.

PhotoWhale watching

Whale watching

Southern right whales in the bays.

PhotoOrca coast

Orca coast

The beaching orcas at Punta Norte.

PhotoPenguins & seals

Penguins & seals

Colonies along the peninsula.

Why Wild Voyager

We connect the continent's extremes.

Argentina's highlights are far apart — glaciers, falls and whale coasts. We handle the domestic flights and timing so the pieces fit into one smooth trip.