Whale watching is one of the most impressive activities that can be carried out in this life. The whale is the largest mammal and seeing it in its habitat is a spectacle like no other.
This whale watching is one of the main activities you can do in Puerto Madryn. If you would like to enjoy one of these sightings, Puerto Madryn is one of the best locations to be able to carry it out for different reasons.
For starters, this is a place with easy access. This allows anyone who wants to enjoy whales to do so without complications. As we will see later, it is also a place where different types of whales meet. This allows you to enjoy a much more complete show and get to know the different species better.
Another advantage of whale watching in Puerto Madryn is the proximity to the coast it has. Not only are we talking about a very accessible place, but you will not have to go too far into the sea to enjoy this spectacle of nature.
On the other hand, due to the large number of whales that you can find in Puerto Madryn you will have enough chances to see the females give birth or see how they nurse their calves. This possibility is one of the most interesting. If it is already impressive to see a whale in itself, seeing it perform these actions is even more interesting.
Finally, the area of Puerto Madryn is very rich in terms of marine fauna. Thanks to these possibilities you can not only enjoy whale watching, but you can also enjoy other marine mammals that are found in the place.
Whales of Puerto Madryn
One of the advantages of whale watching in Puerto Madryn is that the season is quite long. The whale season in Puerto Madryn runs from May to December and, between the months of September and November is when you will be able to see more specimens in the area.
It is during these months that the chances of seeing whales give birth or nurse their young increase, since there are a greater number of these. Probably, the best place to enjoy whales is the month of October.
When whales arrive in Puerto Madryn
The whales arrive in Puerto Madryn and Peninsula Valdes during the month of May. Since their arrival, these whales will stay to breed and feed their calves until December.
One of the aspects you should keep in mind is that the whale season can change every year depending on the season . Although it is more or less maintained for the same time, it is difficult to know exactly when the whales can reach Puerto Madryn.
On the other hand, whales can also arrive or depart in different groups, so in the middle of the season it is much easier to encounter more whales than at the beginning or end of it. This also increases the chances of seeing them give birth or breastfeed due to the greater number of these.
In Puerto Madryn you can find many activities that are related to whale watching. However, unlike what happens in other places, Puerto Madryn is a privileged enclave as far as these whales are concerned.
Because whales like to stay in the waters of Golfo Nuevo that is located in front of the city of Puerto Madryn, they can be observed comfortably from the beach itself or the waterfront. The best place to enjoy these whales is Playa El Doradillo. In El Doradillo, whales are usually shown a few meters from the beach, which makes it an even more impressive fact.
In addition to El Doradillo Beach, other places of interest you can visit in Puerto Madryn are Punta Pardelas, Larralde Beach or Ameghino Beach. These three places are located on the Valdes Peninsula.
The main advantage of being able to see these whales from the beach is that you will not depend on any excursion. In addition to saving you money, you can see the whales according to your own schedule without depending on any group of tourists being able to visit them at your leisure.
The other possibility to enjoy whale watching is by boarding. The boats in Puerto Madryn can have space for up to 40 people. Although there are a lot of different excursions, the most common is that these last an hour and a half.
Obviously, being able to enjoy this whale watching by boat will allow you to see the animal much more closely. As a general rule, it is recommended to carry out these excursions in the morning, since the sea is much calmer and the whales are also more active so the excursion is much more pleasant.
What kind of whales are there in Puerto Madryn
The type of whale that you can find in Puerto Madryn is the southern right whale. This type of whale is typical of the seas of the southern hemisphere and the male usually measures up to 15 meters long while females can reach up to 17.
The weight of an adult specimen of a southern right whale can be 40 tons. These whales spend most of the year in the Antarctic waters where they go to feed. Then, to carry out their reproduction, they migrate to more temperate waters where it is located, for example, Puerto Madryn.
This type of whale is characterized by having calluses on the skin, mainly in the head area. These calluses allow some crustaceans to stay, which makes this whale quite characteristic at first glance.
It is known as the southern right whale mainly because of its nickname of franca. This nickname was given by ancient sailors because it was a very simple whale to hunt due to its sociability. Despite what they may seem due to their large size, the truth is that whales are quite social animals with humans as a general rule.
The sociability of these whales facilitates their sighting, since they have no problem or qualms to approach people with curiosity. This makes the whale watching experience in Puerto Madryn even more spectacular.
Due to the massive hunting that was carried out on these whales, they are currently in danger of extinction. For this reason, the southern right whale is a species protected by law in addition to having been declared a Natural Heritage.
If you are fascinated by this world of whale watching and would like to enjoy these animals from much closer, you have to carry out an excursion to Puerto Madryn. You won’t be able to compare this experience to any other, as the magnitude of the whale is something that doesn’t feel like it until you can see it with your own eyes.
