Whale WatchingSince May and until December, whales come to the Nuevo Gulf coasts whose peaceful waters are perfect for the whales to mate, give birth and raise their calves.
We believe that protection and conservation of these cetaceans is of utmost importance. So, offer you the opportunity to live an unforgettable experience: watch whales in their natural habitat.
Right at Whales Point, in Piramides Port, we will be waiting for you to set sail on board one of our boats. Once we start sailing, you will be able to spend the time enjoying the quietness of the marine landscape due to our operational and security strategies. While you are sailing, a bilingual whale guide will explain the habits and characteristics of this enormous sea dweller.
Before boarding, you will be provided with an impermeable and a life jacket. Once on board, we’re going to enter into the Gulf Nuevo waters, in search of the Southern Right Whale.
While seeking, a highly specialized guide will tell you about the characteristics and habits of this colossus.
Then, just be enjoying the appearance of the whales, their movements, the air expulsion from their lungs, the jumps: a natural and improvised show that will make you feel the life at sea.
To understand the history of whale watching trips, it is necessary to compare both past and present data.
The first commenrcial whale watching boat trips took place in 1971. By then, 8-passenger boats were used so weather conditions had to be perfect. However, boats today are larger and can sit 70 passengers.
In the beginning, about 90% of the passengers were foreigners. At present, there are more and more Argentinian passengers because of the numerous student groups that come to visit Peninsula Valdes and also because people’s change in attitude towards nature and ecology.
Península Valdés is one of the fewest places where you can watch this species in its natural environment. The Eubalaena australis is a mammal adapted to the marine environment in which it lives. Its body is curved and has no dorsal fin. The adult females are 13m long and the adult males are slightly smaller. Adult whales can weigh 30 or 40 tons.
Whales have no teeth which have been replaced by thick bristles or whalebones. These whalebones work as a filter with which whales trap their food, small shrimps known as krill.
Each whale has uniquely characteristic callositities on top of its head and on its sides. These callosities are inhabitied by numerous crustaceans which make these distinctive spots look white, and are used by reasearchers to identify each individual.
Whales have a smooth, elastic black skin, under which there is a thick layer of fat that protects them from the extremely cold southern waters. Although these cetaceans reach the gulf area some time between June and Nobember, the largest number of them can be seen in October and November.
The San Jose and Nuevo Gulfs quiet waters are the ideal environment for whales to mate, bear and raise their calves.
Their pregnancy period is 12 months long, and so is the breastfeeding period of all calves which are 5,5m long at birth.
Despite the strong links between a female whale and its calf, whales do not live in stable family groups. During the mating season, many male whales fight for the same female.
This kind of whales was named Right Whale after its tameness and slowness, which “frankly” made it the right whale to hunt and kill.
There used to be about 300,000 whles in the 17th century, however, there are 4,000 individuals now due to its unrestricted hunting. Fortunately, due to stricter protectionist measures, the whale population has started to grow at a 7% annual rate.
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Segunda Bajada al Mar - [9121] Puerto Pirámides - Chubut - Patagonia Argentina
Tel: +54 [2965] 495112 - e-mail: puntaballena@puntaballena.com.ar
©2008 Jorge Schmid - Punta Ballenas
