Kayaking Patagonia

You’re sitting on a wild, solitary beach, watching whales only a few yards away. You’re lying on the sand close to sea lions. You’re paddling the home bays of whales, elephant seals, sea lions, penguins — the safe havens where these animals mate and bear their young. There are so many whales that there’s a whale research station close by. It’s cool, silent and barren. The horizons are endless. This is our new trip to Patagonia.

We paddle in the wildlife refuge of Peninsula Valdes, in Chubut, Argentina, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Most nights we camp on the stunning, solitary beaches of Patagonia. Peninsula Valdes is best known as the nursery and sanctuary for the endangered Southern Right whale and is the only breeding ground for the elephant seal. On the gravel beaches, the sea lions mate and then raise their pups. Close to shore in the bays, the whales gather, mate, give birth, nurse and raise their calves.

In the barren Patagonian steppes, we can see guanaco, armadillos, foxes, cavy (a large rodent), Patagonian skunk, and the pampas cat. Birdwatchers can see the Magellanic penguin, kelp gulls, lesser rhea, cormorants, egrets, blackish oystercatcher, and flying steamer.

Because we paddle in remote areas, we carry all food and equipment in our sea kayaks. This is an expedition style trip, where we pitch our tents, camp out on the beaches and bathe in the ocean. We set up non-permanent camps and always try to leave no impact on the sites. Breakfasts include good coffee, cereal, eggs, juice and fresh bread. Lunches are sandwiches and salads. Dinners are international favorites with a fruit dessert.
On the first and last nights of the trip we stay in comfortable local inns with private bathrooms. And as always, we start and end the trip with special celebration dinners.

Patagonia’s dramatic solitude amazes visitors. It’s so remote and desolate that the early missionaries ignored it. Because of the dry steppes and isolation, the ruins of ancient Indian villages stayed undisturbed. The first Europeans in this area were – surprisingly — Welsh settlers who came in 1865, bringing their language and culture to their new world. The town of Trelew, where we start and end the trip, was settled by the Welsh. Even today, Welsh is the language of home and chapel in many Trelew homes.

This trip is our dream come true: lying on beaches just a few yards from sea lions and seeing whales close up. Come along with us on this year’s exploratory adventure!