During our trip to Argentina, we had planned to go to the Valdés Peninsula in the hope of taking some photographs of the whales which are emblematic of the place. What we found at Punta Norte simply left us speechless. After a good hour on a really bad road we finally arrived on the edge of a cliff. On the beach below were dozens of sea-lions, as far as the eye could see. In the distance a whale and her baby were peacefully swimming along. So up to then, business as usual. You can see sights like these any day on the Valdés Peninsula. But what was waiting for us was something else altogether.
After waiting, glued to our binoculars, for an hour, we suddenly saw the stars of Punta Norte: orcas. And lots of them! It was a big pod that started to swim along the beach...with the sea lions within reach. We were expecting an attack. Orcas are famous for coming up on to the beach to get their prey, and going back into the water with it afterwards. Everyone waited silently. But contrary to what we were expecting, the orcas turned on the whales and started circling them. They wanted to drown the calf. This was the sort of thing you only expect to see on TV... not for real. You won't be disappointed by Punta Norte. Completely exceptional (and incidentally, the whale was ok - they didn't succeed that day).
Punta Norte's great speactacle are the orcas that literally pounce onto the beach to swallow the sea lions... Something that may seem either gory or amazing, depending on one's point of view. I wasn't there during the season when the "show" takes place (from February to April), and I must say that I'm not too upset about that.
In any event, outside of hunting season, Punta Norte is also worth a visit: it's the largest colony of elephant seals and sea lions in the whole reserve, which can be seen from an observation point and then from a trail leading to the beach. Besides, these creatures are rather funny, and it seems like they spend their days stranded on the sand basking in the sun. The road there is really beautiful, and you certainly have the chance to come across herons, foxes, wild cats, guanacos and I could go on.
Argentina is really a beautiful country and it would certainly seem difficult to plan a trip, especially considering the distances involved. Luckily, the buses are excellent and will take you wherever you like, even to this isolated part of Patagonia!