Arriving in Puerto Madryn we were confronted with numerous tours to see fabulous animals but all at rather steep prices. One animal both Gemma and I were eager to get close to were penguins and with an offer of the largest penguin colony outside of the Antarctic we were sure to be in for a treat.
In hindsight perhaps our expectations were a little high as we spent the day before discussing our realistic ambitions of walking onto a beach to be greeted with a swarm of penguins nipping at our toes, eager to befriend us. We discussed how we would carry them around like our children and even perhaps try and smuggle one into our rucksack. Turns out they're a wild animal, somewhat endangered and all of the above was not possible. As if??!!
We were picked up in the morning and taken in a minibus, first to a dolphin watching stop where we had to wait for others in the group to go out on a boat which we hadn't paid for, and then we drove off to the penguin colony. Situated on a hill top the penguins nested in burrows, sleeping through the day, placid and uninterested by our arrival. We stuck to the designated path and crossed bridges which had hundreds of penguins nesting and malting beneath us. The time of year meant malting time for the babies who were becoming adults and so copious amounts of fluff and penguin poo littered our paths. The idyllic idea of the penuin colony that Disney and Pixar had sold to me was ruined, no penguin attempted the foxtrot for my amusement and as I got as close as I could muster for a photo I quickly backed away for fear a penguin would nip my fingers off.
Although I sound pretty glum about the whole experience it was still amazing to get so close to so many penguins and to see them in their natural habitat. The nearby museum taught us about their habits and lifestyles and although I originally wanted to stroke penguins all day, the protection of their habitat was nice to see.
The second trip we took part in was much more rewarding...Elephant Seal watching. Again the guide was adament about the safety and protection and the seals and a small group of 6 of us set off in sight of the placid beasts. We arrived at the top of a cliff to look down at the beach below to see if any seals were basking there. After about an hour of driving along the coast to check we found some and our guide told us to make our way down the cliff face to the beach. What??!! With a fear of heights this, and the walk back up which was to come later was the worst part of the day but I managed to survive it. The cliff being made out of compact sand crumbled beneath us and as Gemma created a small landslide, the other Emily in our group experienced the first and only casualty of the day.
Upon reaching the pebble beach we sat just metres away from the largest seals I have seen. They were all females and so none of them had the recognisable snout of the male elephant seal but they were giants. Some of the younger seals played in the waters whilst the others sunbathed on the shingle showering themselves with cool wet pebbles to prevent themselves from overheating.
Every so often, and when we dared to venture closer one would look up at us with an inquisitive eye but generally they were unphased by our presence.
Sat with the seals was an extremely peaceful experience. As the only people on the beach with the majestic waves crashing in front of us I felt like I was an explorer discovering these creatures for the first time. If David Attenborough had been there to further explain the creatures I probably would have cried!
In hindsight perhaps our expectations were a little high as we spent the day before discussing our realistic ambitions of walking onto a beach to be greeted with a swarm of penguins nipping at our toes, eager to befriend us. We discussed how we would carry them around like our children and even perhaps try and smuggle one into our rucksack. Turns out they're a wild animal, somewhat endangered and all of the above was not possible. As if??!!
We were picked up in the morning and taken in a minibus, first to a dolphin watching stop where we had to wait for others in the group to go out on a boat which we hadn't paid for, and then we drove off to the penguin colony. Situated on a hill top the penguins nested in burrows, sleeping through the day, placid and uninterested by our arrival. We stuck to the designated path and crossed bridges which had hundreds of penguins nesting and malting beneath us. The time of year meant malting time for the babies who were becoming adults and so copious amounts of fluff and penguin poo littered our paths. The idyllic idea of the penuin colony that Disney and Pixar had sold to me was ruined, no penguin attempted the foxtrot for my amusement and as I got as close as I could muster for a photo I quickly backed away for fear a penguin would nip my fingers off.
Although I sound pretty glum about the whole experience it was still amazing to get so close to so many penguins and to see them in their natural habitat. The nearby museum taught us about their habits and lifestyles and although I originally wanted to stroke penguins all day, the protection of their habitat was nice to see.
The second trip we took part in was much more rewarding...Elephant Seal watching. Again the guide was adament about the safety and protection and the seals and a small group of 6 of us set off in sight of the placid beasts. We arrived at the top of a cliff to look down at the beach below to see if any seals were basking there. After about an hour of driving along the coast to check we found some and our guide told us to make our way down the cliff face to the beach. What??!! With a fear of heights this, and the walk back up which was to come later was the worst part of the day but I managed to survive it. The cliff being made out of compact sand crumbled beneath us and as Gemma created a small landslide, the other Emily in our group experienced the first and only casualty of the day.
Upon reaching the pebble beach we sat just metres away from the largest seals I have seen. They were all females and so none of them had the recognisable snout of the male elephant seal but they were giants. Some of the younger seals played in the waters whilst the others sunbathed on the shingle showering themselves with cool wet pebbles to prevent themselves from overheating.
Every so often, and when we dared to venture closer one would look up at us with an inquisitive eye but generally they were unphased by our presence.
Sat with the seals was an extremely peaceful experience. As the only people on the beach with the majestic waves crashing in front of us I felt like I was an explorer discovering these creatures for the first time. If David Attenborough had been there to further explain the creatures I probably would have cried!
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