Orcas At Peninsula Valdes, Argentina

The weather was poor, with winds blowing from the north. By the time we got to Punta Norte, we weren't hopeful. We would have been even less hopeful if we'd known then what we know now.... the orcas hadn't shown up a single time during the entire season. In theory, the season begins in January when the pups are born and continues through mid-April when the pups go to sea. This year, the weather had been horrible with big storms and high winds pounding the coast nearly every day. There's strong evidence that changes in weather patterns are effecting both the sea lions and the orcas. Fortunately, we didn't have beach permits for Day 1 (more on that later), so we stood at the public viewing area searching in vain for orcas before returning to Puerto Piramides.

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The weather was poor, with winds blowing from the north. By the time we got to Punta Norte, we weren't hopeful. We would have been even less hopeful if we'd known then what we know now.... the orcas hadn't shown up a single time during the entire season. In theory, the season begins in January when the pups are born and continues through mid-April when the pups go to sea. This year, the weather had been horrible with big storms and high winds pounding the coast nearly every day. There's strong evidence that changes in weather patterns are effecting both the sea lions and the orcas. Fortunately, we didn't have beach permits for Day 1 (more on that later), so we stood at the public viewing area searching in vain for orcas before returning to Puerto Piramides.

orcas 2116