Seasons

Whale season at Península Valdés

When June – December June to December, with the first animals in late May and the strongest period in September and October.

Typical duration 3 days

Book 4–6 months ahead

Groups & MICE Good for MICE

The southern right whale comes into the gulfs of Chubut to calve, and the month decides whether the client watches from the shore or from a boat.

What it is

The southern right whale uses the sheltered gulfs of Península Valdés as a nursery. Between June and September it concentrates in Golfo Nuevo, off Puerto Madryn, and is watched from land — El Doradillo allows sightings a few metres from the shore, with no boat involved. Between September and December it moves to Golfo San José and watching is done from boats out of Puerto Pirámides, with more breaching and more calf activity.

What to offer

Three nights in Puerto Madryn inside the window, with the format chosen by month: shore-based and boat-free in the southern winter, boat-based in spring. The peninsula adds penguins, elephant seals and sea lions depending on the time of year, so the programme is sold as marine wildlife rather than as a single species. It fits well with Buenos Aires and, from September onwards, with the Patagonian reopening.

How it operates

This is wildlife in its habitat: sightings are not guaranteed, and saying so up front protects the agency. Boat departures depend on the state of the sea and can be rescheduled on the day. The exact operating window of each season is confirmed at quotation by the Local Supplier.

When to book

Four to six months ahead. The bed base in Puerto Madryn and Puerto Pirámides is limited, and the most active months — September and October — commit first.

Groups & MICE

A good window for a small incentive outside high season: September and October combine wildlife activity with available hotels and manageable weather.