Valdes Peninsula
The Valdés Peninsula is located at
the northeastern tip of Patagonia. It literally juts into the Atlantic Ocean. It is linked
to the mainland by an isthmus a few miles wide and (with a curious axe like shape) has a
vast length of ocean shores.
Centuries of erosion have formed
rocky shelves, gulfs, bays and sandy and rocky beaches, each of which is a natural shelter
for marine mammals and birds.
The mixing of the warm Brazilian
Current with the cold Malvinas Current favors the thriving of plankton, algae and
shellfish. This in turn constitutes the basis of the food chain for large numbers of
species of marine wildlife.
Sea lions, elephant seals, right
whales, dolphins, Magellanic penguins and tens of species of birds are present in huge
colonies all around the Peninsula.
The landscape is for the most part
dry and desolated. The prevailing vegetation is the tundra like Patagonian desert steppe.
Some 130 plant species from 41 families have been reported, with 38 species native of
Argentina.
Animals such as guanacos, lesser
rheas, Patagonian foxes, maras, hairy armadillos inhabit and can be found in the area.
