Patagonian Wildlife: Condors, Guanacos, Whales, and the Penguin Colonies
Chilean and Argentine Patagonia together form one of the finest wildlife viewing regions in the world, combining the puma and guanaco of Torres del Paine with the marine mammals and penguins of the Atlantic Patagonian coast and the seabird richness of the sub-Antarctic channels.
- 1
Andean Condor: The Patagonian Sky King
The Andean condor is abundant throughout Chilean Patagonia and is observed daily from the open pampa areas of Torres del Paine, where the birds soar on the powerful thermals generated by the Patagonian wind over the grassland. The condors of the park are accustomed to vehicle presence and can be observed from roadside viewpoints at close range.
- 2
Guanaco: The Wild Camelid of the Pampa
The guanaco population of Torres del Paine and the surrounding Patagonian steppe is one of the largest remaining wild camelid populations in South America, with several thousand individuals visible in the open pampa areas of the park. The guanaco herds are the primary prey of the park's pumas and the behavior of the guanaco herds, with the dominant male and the territorial structure of the family groups, is visible from the park roads.
- 3
Darwin's Rhea: The Patagonian Ostrich
Darwin's rhea, the smaller of the two South American rhea species and the one named after Charles Darwin who first described it scientifically during the Beagle voyage, is common on the Patagonian steppe and is frequently seen in groups around the park entrances and the Lago Sarmiento area. The rhea groups are dominated by males who incubate the communal nest and raise the chicks.
- 4
Southern Right Whale: Ocean Giants of the Peninsula
The southern right whale populations that gather in Peninsula Valdes in Argentine Patagonia for breeding and calving from July to November are accessible from Puerto Madryn by boat excursion; the whale watching is among the finest in the world, with the right whales approaching boats closely and displaying acrobatic breaching behavior.
- 5
Magellanic Penguin: The Continental Colony
The Magellanic penguin colony at Punta Tombo south of Trelew in Argentine Patagonia is the largest continental penguin colony in the world, with more than a million individuals nesting in the coastal scrubland during the breeding season from September to March. The accessible walking circuit through the colony allows visitors to observe the penguins at their burrow entrances within arm's reach.
- 6
Orca Hunting at Peninsula Valdes: The Beach Strike
The orca population of Peninsula Valdes in Argentine Patagonia has developed a unique hunting technique of intentionally beaching themselves on the kelp-covered shore to attack seal lion and elephant seal pups in the shallows; this behavior, found nowhere else in the world, can be observed from the Punta Norte area of the peninsula during the seal pup season from March to April.