Kyle Berg

Despite the fact that I had already been to Peninsula Valdes last year with my friends Jackie and Coral, I decided to stop there again. This served not only as a way to break up the  monotony of traveling by bus, but it also gave me a chance to see the wildlife again. December 21st was getting toward the very end of the Southern Right Whale season in Peninsula Valdes, but I wanted to give it a try. Our tour picked me up at the hostel around 8:30 a.m. so we would have ample time to cover the long distances ahead of us.

First we had to stop and pay the obligatory entrance fee. Technically, Peninsula Valdes was a reserve and not a national park. But that didn’t stop them from charging foreigners 40 pesos and Argentines only 14 pesos–just as was the case at other national parks. Then we headed to Punta Norte. This got me excited because, although remote, the possibility of seeing an orca whale here would be better than most other locations. Seeing one was rare and our group would have no exceptional luck that day either. (Had I seen one though, I would have wet my pants, screamed like a giddy schoolgirl, or possibly both). Our half hour at Punta Norte ended up being rather dull and only a few of the younger sea elephants remained and they were at a significant distance.

(Here I have to recall one of my silly inner tantrums that I’m prone to throw every once in a while. Though I’m an adult of 26 years, I still subscribe to the theory–or unwritten rule–of “same seats.” Being a tall person, unless I’m seated next to a strikingly beautiful woman, I always hope no one sits next to me so that I have more leg room. I enjoyed this comfort on the way to Punta Norte and assumed it would be this way the whole trip. But when I entered the bus, I spotted some guy in his late twenties or early thirties occupying the seat next to mine. Hadn’t he heard of “same seats”?! For the next 30 minutes of the long drive, I watched the beautiful scenery through the bus window and made no effort to talk with him. I knew it was childish to be upset with him and didn’t express it outwardly, but he was clearly in the wrong. Anyway, we ended up chatting off and on the rest of the way and talking about places in his Lonely Planet guide. I found out he was from France–big surprise. I guess I got over my mental fit).

We got back on the gravel road and stopped at a small penguin colony for 7-8 minutes to snap a few pictures before continuing. A few minutes later we were at a large sea lion colony and had an hour and a half to watch the animals and/or eat lunch. I skipped the restaurant and spent the whole time watching and taking pictures from the confines of our designated area along the shore. We weren’t too far away but we weren’t close either. The distance left me wishing my excellent 18-200 mm lens went up to 300 or 400 mm. I just couldn’t get there. What struck me more this time than my previous visit was the beautiful turquoise color of the water. (Last time it had been cloudy and the light didn’t bring out the color nearly as well). The coast of Peninsula Valdes appeared so pure, rugged, and natural. Though obvious, I was struck by how the animals continued on as they had for thousands of years, completely oblivious that it was 2007 and the world of man had advanced greatly. Life was so simple and beautiful for them.

Our last stop of the day was Puerto Pyramides. With only 600 people, it was the only town on Peninsula Valdes and the mecca for whale-watching tourists. Unfortunately, the notorious Patagonian winds were whipping that day and all whale observation boats were docked for the day. We had a little more than an hour to wander the beach and relax. I returned to our group at 4:45 only to be pleasantly surprised. The whale boats were going to give it a go! We headed out on the water and I was again struck by how much more beautiful it seemed in the sunlight. Our boat encountered some relatively big waves and I was glad to be in the back of the boat and shielded from the water soaking a few of the other passengers in the front. Supposedly there were two or three whales left in the bay, but our boat didn’t find them. Instead, we made a trip along the coast and saw this beautiful landing for sea lions. They had their own ledge sticking out into the ocean and the water pouring off of it made it seem like they were animal royalty. Disappointing as it was to miss the whales, it was cool to take in the sea lions from such a short distance. I especially liked their statuesque manner of pointing their heads in the air. They barked and made their other distinct noises as we approached and cut the motor to sit there and enjoy the view. The boat headed back to shore and, looking at the coastal formations, it was easy to see why that place was called Puerto Pyramides.