Elephant seals
On the shingle.
Caleta Valdés is a coastal lagoon some 35 kilometres long on the east coast of Península Valdés, cut off from the sea by a spit of shingle and sand and joined to the ocean by a small mouth at its southern end. Two groups of small islands lie inside it. Its middle section holds Magellanic penguin colonies, while the part nearest the mouth shelters southern elephant seals from August to April, protected from sea and wind, one of the few colonies of the species on the mainland. From viewpoints above the beach, visitors watch the huge males, the females and their pups lying on the shingle. The site is inside the Valdés reserve, whose fee is paid at the entrance. The road is long and gravel, so it usually pairs with Punta Norte and Puerto Pirámides in a day.
On the shingle.
Mid-lagoon.
Between lagoon and sea.
East coast of Península Valdés, Chubut
Between August and April, near the lagoon mouth, from viewpoints above the beach.