Orcas of the Valdes Peninsula – Argentina

On the first day we will transfer from Trelew airport to Peninsula Valdes. We will stay at Ernestina ranch which is located at the tip of Punta Norte, with miles of coastline, only accessible to the guests. The coast usually has approximately from 6 to 10 sea lion colonies, scattered throughout the different beaches, and this is where the orcas show up to hunt them.

Depending on the weather and direction of the wind, we will start the day before sunrise, and after a hearty breakfast, we will position ourselves within view of some of the colonies, to wait for the orcas to arrive to the area. If this happens, we will choose a colony and hope for the orcas to attack the one we have picked. Our guide makes an educated guess on which one will be the target. Sometimes, we go to high ground to scan the ocean and wait for any sign of their presence. We will be repeating this every day, unless we get lucky early in the morning. The days might be long, with not much going on, or they might become active as we move from one place to another on a 4WD vehicle to capture the action at different beaches.

On the last day we will transfer to Trelew airport to fly back to Buenos Aires.

It is important to highlight that Orcas are not very numerous, and although they are present in the area for approximately 35% of the days in the season, we might be lucky to spot orcas every day, or we might just miss them all together as they are wild animals and make their own decisions. Every day is a different day, and seeing them in the area one day does not mean they will stay for the next day, and vice versa. This is the ultimate waiting game!