Península Valdés
🇦🇷 Argentina
🐋 Right Whale and Sea Lion CoastValdés is a treeless peninsula where the wildlife concentrates on the shoreline, so most of it is watched from land. Southern elephant seals hold the beaches, South American sea lions the rocky points, and southern right whales come into the two gulfs — recorded on nine visits in ten at their September peak.
-42.252° S 63.848° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Southern Right Whale
Eubalaena australis
★ 
Southern Elephant Seal
Mirounga leonina
★ 
Southern Sea Lion
Otaria byronia
★ 
Patagonian Cavy
Dolichotis patagonum
📊 Most Spotted
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Large Hairy Armadillo
Chaetophractus villosus
Guanaco
Lama guanicoe
American Oystercatcher
Haematopus palliatus
Patagonian Mockingbird
Mimus patagonicus
Bigua cormorant
Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Southern Giant Petrel
Macronectes giganteus
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Zonotrichia capensis
Mourning Sierra-Finch
Rhopospina fruticeti
Black-faced Smooth-throated Lizard
Liolaemus melanops
Magellanic Penguin
Spheniscus magellanicus
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Southern Right Whale
Eubalaena australis
★ Southern Elephant Seal
Mirounga leonina
★ Southern Sea Lion
Otaria byronia
★ Patagonian Cavy
Dolichotis patagonum
📊 Most Spotted
Large Hairy Armadillo
Chaetophractus villosus
Guanaco
Lama guanicoe
Killer Whale
Orcinus orca
Southern Mountain Cavy
Microcavia australis
Pampas Fox
Lycalopex gymnocercus
Brown Hare
Lepus europaeus
Humboldt's Hog-nosed Skunk
Conepatus chinga
Geoffroy's Cat
Leopardus geoffroyi
Pichi
Zaedyus pichiy
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
gray leaf-eared mouse
Graomys griseoflavus
📊 Most Spotted
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
American Oystercatcher
Haematopus palliatus
Patagonian Mockingbird
Mimus patagonicus
Bigua cormorant
Phalacrocorax brasilianus
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Southern Giant Petrel
Macronectes giganteus
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Zonotrichia capensis
Mourning Sierra-Finch
Rhopospina fruticeti
Magellanic Penguin
Spheniscus magellanicus
Imperial Shag
Leucocarbo atriceps
Elegant Crested Tinamou
Eudromia elegans
Great Grebe
Podiceps major
📊 Most Spotted
Black-faced Smooth-throated Lizard
Liolaemus melanops
Patagonia Lancehead
Bothrops ammodytoides
Bahia Blanca Smooth-throated Lizard
Liolaemus darwinii
Graceful Tree Iguana
Liolaemus gracilis
Mousehole Snake
Philodryas trilineata
Darwin's Marked Gecko
Homonota darwinii
Bell's Anole
Leiosaurus bellii
Brown Musurana
Paraphimophis rusticus
Patagonian Racer
Philodryas patagoniensis
📊 Most Spotted
Recent sightings in Península Valdés
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Southern Right Whales in the Gulfs
Southern right whales calve in the sheltered gulfs and are recorded on nine visits in ten, their highest of the year.
2Sea Lions and Guanacos in Late
South American sea lions gather on the rocky points while guanaco herds move across the steppe behind them.
3Elephant Seals and Lizards in
Southern elephant seals moult on the beaches and Liolaemus lizards bask across the open ground.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Southern Right Whales in the Gulfs
- 2Sea Lions and Guanacos in Late
- 3Elephant Seals and Lizards in
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
On the drive, we spotted guanacos and a nesting pair of variable hawks (Geranoaetus polyosoma).
Along the way, we also saw guanacos, Patagonian tinamous, and a burrowing owl nest with a few chicks inside.
From the viewpoint, we could see Chilean flamingos feeding on the shoreline and we could just about make out that there were Magellanic penguins on the island!
Two male Magellanic penguins argue over a female For lunch, we picked a penguin-free spot on the beach, and watched giant petrels flying in from the sea, and the Magellanics coming and going from the water.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Península Valdés?
The most likely sightings are Dominican Gull (seen by over 90% of wildlife watchers), Southern Elephant Seal (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Southern Sea Lion (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Large Hairy Armadillo (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Guanaco (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers) — among 353 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Península Valdés for wildlife?
November has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Southern Right Whale in Península Valdés?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Right Whale sighting in Península Valdés, based on 191 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Southern Elephant Seal in Península Valdés?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Elephant Seal sighting in Península Valdés, based on 259 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Southern Sea Lion in Península Valdés?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Sea Lion sighting in Península Valdés, based on 218 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Patagonian Cavy in Península Valdés?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Patagonian Cavy sighting in Península Valdés, based on 93 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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