Orca season at Península Valdés
Visit the only place in the world where you can see orcas teach their calves to hunt young sea lions.
The ritual repeats every year: from March to May, when the sea lion younglings venture out to sea, the orcas get there to hunt them and feed on them. How do they do it? By using one of the most intelligent practices in the animal kingdom: deliberate beaching. Would you like to have the privilege of watching this? Come see the orcas approaching the beach, pretending to be stranded, in order to surprise their prey unaware and catch them.
You will be amazed to see that orcas do not hunt on their own: they do it together with their calves, to teach them practice beaching. Admire the wisdom in nature for the preservation of this sea mammal. Would you like to witness a unique show, which gathers scientists, documentary film-makers, and tourists around the globe? Come to Península Valdés and wait for the magical moment when orcas appear before your eyes.
Geographic location: Province of Chubut, Argentine Patagonia.
How to get there: From Puerto Madryn via Ruta Provincial 2 (56 km). By air, from Buenos Aires to Puerto Madryn or to Trelew International Airport (66 km away from Puerto Madryn).
Area: 4.000 sq km
Climate: Warm from September through April (temperatures can reach up to 40ºC). Cold with heavier rainfall the rest of the year, with average temperatures lower than 5ºC.
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 3 days.
Recommended clothing and gear: The area can be very windy, so it is advisable to take the right clothes, including a windbreaker.
What to do: Visit Puerto Pirámides, take a boat ride (if weather conditions are good), watch the whales from a semi-submersible submarine, take a 4x4 ride.
Tips: While the orcas can be spotted suddenly from anywhere in the peninsula, it’s more likely to see them in Punta Norte and in Caleta Valdés.