Whales

Lords of the sea

by Valeria Reed

In autumn, the giants take over the South Atlantic. When the intensely blue waters begin to fill of black spots the whales have arrived. It is necessary to prepare for seven months of jumps in the ocean and tender scenes between mothers and their young.

The Gulfs Nuevo and San Jose, that surround the Valdés Peninsula, in Chubut, are the place s chosen by the Fraca whale to procreate and to nurse their descendants. The spectacle is within reach of the senses. Just visit Port Pyramides 100 kilometers west of Madryn.

The right whale is an enormous cetacean: when born it measures between 4 and 6 meters and weights 3 tons. It grows at the rate of three centimeters and a half per day, until surpassing the 12 meters and the 50 tons when he is adult. The females are greater than the males.

These animals arrive at waters of Chubut to mate. The gestation lasts a year and each female gives birth to only cub. The years following birth, the whale mother dedicates itself exclusive ly to its young. During the first 12 months it nurses it and does not separate form it. The following year it tries to teach it to fend for itself.

From Doradillo beach, 17 kilometers from Madryn by a dirt road, mother whales can be observed playing with the whale calves during hours. The beach is splendid and can be reached by car.

Whale jumping.

The whales begin to arrive at these coasts between May and June. Sometimes early arrives can be seen by April. The stay till November or December when they migrate towards the most southern seas in search for food.

One of the curiosities of the life of these marine mammals is its feeding. They feed their massive bodies with microscopic food that enters through the beards that have in their mouths. The whales do not have teeth but beards that catch krill and plancton when they fill their mouths with water.

It is necessary to travel to Puerto Pyramides to whale watch. Companies there offer the complete excursion, with the transfer from Madryn included. The noon excursion includes only the transfer. The by day one includes a visit to the rest of the Valdés Peninsula, visiting marine wolves and elephants, in addition to reserves of birds.

The whale watching excursion consists of a ride in boat to approach the animals. It is not allowed to touch them nor to approach them too much but that doesn´t lessen the impact of seen this lords of the sea up close.