Whale Spotting In Puerto Madryn

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Winter in Argentina's south rendered passage to the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia, impossible. The Perito Moreno Glacier near the Chilean border would be a worthy alternative, but required a halfway stop at the coastal town of Puerto Madryn. The bus trip with AndesMar to Puerto Madryn clocked some 20 hours on icy roads, but the luxury coche cama boasted fully reclinable seats and substantial meals, making the long journey surprisingly comfortable.

We disembarked at our destination, stepping off the cosy comforts and into the cold. The extreme cold. A wind tore through our jackets and to our bones. A French-Canadian couple we met on the coche cama helped us find refuge in a hostel called El Gualicho. We were grateful to find it clean and warm, with a communal kitchen and daily dinners for 20 pesos a head.

Puerto Madryn is a whale-watching town, and we heard of recent sightings from the beach. Water was breaking in the distance, and we braved the skin of our hands on the blustery pier in an attempt to capture what the locals said was impossible: a photo of orcas playing in the bay.


Peninsula Valdes

The day tour of the peninsula started as dawn broke, the coldest time of the morning at -2°C plus wind chill. The pain of the fierce cold was worthwhile to stand on a pebbly beach as half a dozen Southern Right Whales played only 20 metres from the shore. The drive to the next stop led us through a wonderful desolate landscape of shrubs and rocks, and our arrival at the south beach was rewarded with the sight of juvenile Elephant Seals lazing on the beach.

The final leg of the tour was the whale-watching boat trip. We clambered aboard a little boat and were towed out to sea from the beach by a tractor and trailer. The boat bounced on the choppy water, providing a challenge for keen photographers and the seasick. Within minutes, we were surrounded by whales, and witnessed some spectacular breaches in the distance.

We returned to the hostel, tired and satisfied with the day's activities. After a home-cooked meal and collection of freshly laundered clothes from the nearby lavandería, we gladly retired to bed.


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