Well, after revisiting my blog after a 5 month absence, I find this entry in draft status, and sadly, it's from my trip to Argentina in November/December 2010! Since January, much has happened, so I have lots of catching up to do before my next adventure in July to southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Stay tuned for more photography and hopefully some very interesting stories.
In the first week of December 2010, my cousin and I were at the tail end of our Argentine adventures, making our way back up to Buenos Aires after 8-9 phenomenal days spent in Patagonia. But, we couldn't leave the region without making a brief stop in Puerto Madryn, home to some of the hemisphere's marine wonders and, interestingly, Argentina's Welsh community.
After making our way to our hostel after a slightly spooky, reckless night drive from the Trelew airport, we were finally on Valdes peninsula, where most of the wildlife can be found. It was whale watching season, and we kept our fingers crossed for accomodating weather and some grand appearances by Southern whales in the following day.
The tour around the peninsula stops at various ports, where tourists are limited within a certain distance from the wildlife to simply observe and take photographs. Argentina's tourism management is a phenomenal example of order and eco-cognizance absent of the need to compromise on the traveler's experience and exposure to what the country has to offer. In Morre Nuevo and Punto Norte, we were able to watch herds of penguins, sea lions, and elephant seals swimming in the Atlantic's blue waters, playfully wrestling with each other, but mostly napping along the shoreside.
In the first week of December 2010, my cousin and I were at the tail end of our Argentine adventures, making our way back up to Buenos Aires after 8-9 phenomenal days spent in Patagonia. But, we couldn't leave the region without making a brief stop in Puerto Madryn, home to some of the hemisphere's marine wonders and, interestingly, Argentina's Welsh community.
After making our way to our hostel after a slightly spooky, reckless night drive from the Trelew airport, we were finally on Valdes peninsula, where most of the wildlife can be found. It was whale watching season, and we kept our fingers crossed for accomodating weather and some grand appearances by Southern whales in the following day.
The tour around the peninsula stops at various ports, where tourists are limited within a certain distance from the wildlife to simply observe and take photographs. Argentina's tourism management is a phenomenal example of order and eco-cognizance absent of the need to compromise on the traveler's experience and exposure to what the country has to offer. In Morre Nuevo and Punto Norte, we were able to watch herds of penguins, sea lions, and elephant seals swimming in the Atlantic's blue waters, playfully wrestling with each other, but mostly napping along the shoreside.
Adorable sea lions swimming to shore
Now, this is the life.....
About to wrestle or mate? Is there a difference?
In Punta Norte, we were lucky enough to sight Orcas, famously known as the killer whale. These creatures are magificent, and in our case, a little elusive, but we were able to catch a few glimpses of these shamus.
The Orca
Patagonian Penguins
Sunabthing penguin
Penguins observing equally fascinating creatures
I believe it was from Punta Delgada that we boarded our boats for whale watching. We definitely could not anticipate what awaited us. The whales were undaunted by our motor boats and the clicking and flashing of our cameras. In fact, I wonder whether they actually adored the attention and excitement they aroused. After a series of backflips high into the air, the whales swam aside our boat, occasionally raising their famous black tailends or flukes into the air before crashing them straight back down into the water with a massive splash. They were natural performers who clearly new how to please a crowd.
Whale tail, thrust into the air
Coming up for air
Showing off its fluke
The fluke show continues
Heading back down
A grand finale
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