Map

Punta Norte in Peninsula Valdés See map

Within the Peninsula Valdés it is Punta Norte, a Natural Protected Area, created on September 29, 1967 in order to preserve the wildlife that live there, a large colony of sea elephants and sea lions of a hair.

One of the main attractions of Punta Norte are the orcas. Photo of Punta Norte Orca Research.

Punta Norte is located about 77 km from Puerto Pirámides and is accessed through National Route 3. There you can watch the sea elephants and sea lions throughout the year and in great number between December and April which is their breeding season. For this reason, it is also possible to spot the great spectacle that give us the orcas when they reach these places in search of food. 

On the way to Punta Norte, the visitor can observe the native fauna characteristic of the steppe. Among them are martinetas, guanacos, rheas, sea and land birds that nest in the area as well as lizards, jararacas cream and mammals such as hairy armadillo, cavy, tuco-tuco, jack straw, bobcat, gray fox, mara.

At Punta Norte you will find an interpretive center and trails with information signs in all areas of allowed access to guide tourists during their visit.

Orcas

The orcas are the largest dolphins and murderers of the ocean, through the technique of intentional stranding, they feed on seals and sea elephants. These mammals can be spotted mostly between February and April with a larger number of specimen on the peninsula each year.

Orcas are commonly referred to as "killer whales", but they actually belong to the family of dolphins and not of whales. Males reach to measure 10 meters and weigh 9 or 10 tons, while the smaller females measure 8.5 m and weigh between 7 and 8 tons. The main difference between the sexes, in addition to size, is the dorsal fin, as the male's one can grow to 2 meters tall and the female's one has a small bend backwards at the tip.

In this place, there are several foundations that work with wildlife on the peninsula. These include the Punta Norte Orca Research Foundation, an international non-profit organization that is sworn to the scientific study of orcas. 

Source: Peninsula Valdés, Municipality of Puerto Pirámides and Punta Norte Orca Research