Readers’ World: I had a whale of a time watching wildlife in Argentina

05 February 2017 - 02:00 By Moira Smart
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Sunday Times reader Moira Smart visits the Valdes Peninsula, a protected area in Argentina, famous for its marvellous marine life

"I was amazed and delighted at the numbers of creatures we saw on the Valdes peninsula," wrote Gerald Durrell in The Whispering Land (1961). "It was as if the peninsula and its narrow isthmus was a cul-de-sac into which all the wildlife of Chubut had drained and from which it could not escape."

After our drive through the arid Patagonian Desert from Puerto Madryn, the landscape suddenly came alive as we entered the peninsula - and I saw what Durrell had meant.

This reserve, a "significant natural habitat for biodiversity", was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999. The peninsula extends into the Atlantic like an axe-head.

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The gateway to this enchanting reserve is the Carlos Ameghino Isthmus. It is so narrow that at points you can see the Gulf of San Jose to the north and the Nuevo Gulf to the south.

The interpretation centre and museum at the entrance was an eye-opener with its scale replicas of orcas and dolphins, an underwater scene, birdlife and fossils.

Thirty-three species of terrestrial mammals have been reported - no doubt an extended stay is required to tick all the boxes.

Groups of partridge-like brown birds with gold speckles (tinamou) revelled in a dust-bath in the road. As the car approached they darted off, the half-moon crest of feathers on their heads fluttering in the wind. Another frequent non-flyer was Darwin's rhea. This delicate version of the ostrich marched dignified alongside the road. Occasionally, a pair of Patagonian mara or hare would be spotted, lying sunning themselves.

Graceful, rust-coloured guanaco (a wild relative of the llama) grazed in the scrub. A hairy armadillo scuttled from one bush to the next. A grey fox chased a cuyo (a type of guinea pig) for a quick snack. These delightful scenes played out on the 97km washboard gravel road to the coast.

The azure sky melted into the shimmering ocean as we approached the shoreline. This pristine protected coast with its calm waters and rich nutrients is a breeding haven for marine mammals.

Our first stop was Punta Norte. As we walked towards the observation point, it was the sound that reached me first: a hubbub of bleating, coughing and roaring.

The beach was bedecked with the splendid, shining, slinky pelts of the sea-lion colony. Pups were playing in the shallow waters, from time to time disturbing their mothers' beauty sleep. Shaggy-necked adult bulls sat with their noses pointing to the sun.

block_quotes_start Pups were playing in the shallow waters, from time to time disturbing their mothers' beauty sleep. Shaggy-necked adult bulls sat with their noses pointing to the sun

This playing field is not always so idyllic. It turns into a killing field when the orcas arrive. A deep underwater channel allows them to get close to the beach at high tide and chase sea-lion pups into the surf. This is a learnt behaviour, known as intentional stranding. Adults have been seen teaching their young to hunt, sometimes pulling prey off the beach for youngsters to catch.

This unique hunting method attracts researchers and photographers from around the world. They must obtain a permit and hire a ranger to accompany them to the restricted area of the attack channel. I was not among the few who witnessed this spectacle at high tide.

This coastline had more to offer. Caleta Valdes is a phenomenal geographical feature. A sandbar stretches parallel to the coast for 30km, the only inlet 150m wide.

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What looked like huge, grey rocks on the beach sprang to life as a lazy flipper tossed sand in the air - elephant seals. Clearly they were intent on sleeping, though, and there was no way I was going to observe movement from these hulks.

A nearby Magellanic penguin colony was more intriguing as they preened each other and waddled back and forth from their nests to the water's edge. Wheeling seabirds were part of the ebb and flow.

The only village on the peninsula is Puerto Pirámides. Pyramid-shaped cliffs overlook the sheltered bay where southern right whales come to calve and raise their young, much like they do in Hermanus. "The Paradise" was where I relished a local seafood lunch. And from paradise is where I had to return to Puerto Madryn.

Sitting next to me on the bus to Trelew airport was a little girl from Buenos Aires. As she opened the case she had been clutching, out popped giraffes, rhinos, elephants, lions and zebras. Her dream is to see South Africa's wildlife. Will she and future generations be able to realise their dream - as I was privileged to do in their country?

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