Puerto Madryn - Bellenas (Whales everywhere!)

Our first overnight stop was in the beautiful coastal city of Puerto Madryn. We had an amazing view of the ocean from our hotel window...and soon found out that we also had an amazing view of a dozen or so whales. There were whale backs, tails, bellies, and water spouting from blowholes in every direction that we looked. It was so surreal! We had come to Puerto Madryn in the middle of the Southern Right Whale migration/mating season and we didn't even know it! During our two days in the city, there was never a time that we looked out on the harbor without seeing one of these huge whales.

Our first morning in Puerto Madryn, Sarah went on a whale watching excursion. Unfortunately, Nathanael could not go along because he had to stay with the helicopter...but she took enough pictures (800 or so) to chronicle the day. Here are just a couple of the pictures:

Look how close to the shore the whales were!

The back of a Southern Right Whale in the ultra-blue southern Atlantic Ocean.

A couple of whales swam right under the boat! Here is one just before he surfaced.

So close!!

Not the cutest little guy. But it was really cool to see his eye, baleen, blowholes, and multiple callosities (the barnacle-looking things).

Kind of like sea world...he waved goodbye.

And the fluke.

Later in the day, we stopped at another beach to watch them as they came in really close. Sarah probably saw over 100 whales that day!

A pod of three whales were jumping...this was exciting because mostly these whales seem to just lay around.



And lastly...this was at the final stop of the excursion. Commentary by Olaf, German pilot extraordinaire.