Where: Puerto Piramides, little community in the Natural Protected Area of Peninsula Valdes / Chubut / Argentina
When: October/2017
Water temperature: very cold
Visibility: Poor (1-2 meters)
Duration: 40 minutes
Main attraction: South American Sea Lion (Lobos Marinos de un Pelo)
We did a less than half a day trip from Puerto Piramides to the sea lion colony, established on a rocky cliff a few minutes from the coast. The view is very scenic, and I think it would be even better on a sunny weather, which on that particular day wasn’t the case. I opted to use a dry suit since the water was really cold, but there is an option to use the wetsuit if you prefer.
The South American Sea Lion (Otaria flavescens) is known locally as “Lobo Marino de un pelo” (One-Haired Sea Wolf). They usually live on the South Pacific and South Atlantic coasts. The alpha-male keeps a harem of 3-18 females, and the females are the ones that almost always come to us.
As we entered the water, some female promptly dived and very soon we could see them playing and checking us out. The instructor said that if a group get to snorkel more closely, it will attract more attention from the sea lions. So that’s what I did and it seemed to work just fine!
It’s pretty impressive how fast and fluidly they move inside water, so don’t expect to get near of them, unless it’s from their own will!
We were allowed to stay 40 minutes in the water, and that passed very quickly, but its enough time to have some fun and good memories of the interaction with these playful creatures.
The water is very cold and the visibility not so well, then you may ask me if it is a well worth trip. I will answer that for me it totally worth, it was one of the highlights of my travel. Interacting with wild animals with minimal nature impact has become increasingly rare, so when you find an activity that brings you that possibility, dive/snorkel in!
Enjoy some other photos of the South American Sea Lion:
World Thru Mask 