Today is the much anticipated visit to Peninsula Valdes and Puerto Madryn on the National Geographic Explorer to see the Southern Right Whales in their designated UNESCO World Heritage environment. Two days of sailing from Buenos Aires for one hour of whale watching in a crowded boat is not an optimal experience for anyone. It is particularly annoying for the serious photographers as there isn’t enough room to move side to side on the boat, or to change position on one side of the boat. Very disappointing and in no way lived up to the expectations that had been set. Some reasonable images to be had if you could contort yourself appropriately!
The afternoon saw a visit to Estancia San Lorenzo for lunch and the nearby Magellanic penguin colony. Magellanic penguins are similar to Australian little blue penguins in that they are burrowing penguins, and have adapted to their sandy, exposed environment by learning to pant to expel heat. It is nesting time for these birds, so many were showing signs of heat stress as they tried to incubate and protect their eggs with little protection from the sun. Even at a relatively mild 18 degrees Celsius, the sun was unrelenting and you couldn’t help but feel sorry for these little guys.
