Photo Upload: Whale Watching on Peninsula Valdes (and Orcas!)

Many people have been anticipating my Peninsula Valdes photos, here they are.

First Whales H and I saw there were this Albino calf and its mum.

Me, watching the Mum and calf swim away after having been about 15metres from us.

There were 2 dead whales on the beach. They stunk but the seagulls loved it.

This whale wasn't as long decayed. According to the dog the tongues the best bit. (another dog brought some to us as we sat on our chairs. H was ungrateful and kicked the smelly rotting meat away.)

See the whale and the people watching... the water is immediately deep so the whales can come in close.

Jump! If you get one jumping or tail flipping they usually did it again and again.

Even when there weren't whales it was spectacular, especially at sunrise.

Beach camped.

Orcas! (or, in English, Killer Whales)... I wasn't sure if they were but even the people at the Puerto Madryn Eco centre say they are, and everybody else does too. So that settles it? I was the only person on the beach when I saw them and snapped this picture. 

Biggest dolphins I've ever seen: Orcas (Killer Whales)

It's time to finally leave Peninsula Valdes, there isn't much more wildlife we can spot!

Yesterday we took a drive to the north point of the peninsula. The idea was to see Orcas (in English they are called Killer Whales, but they are dolphins, not whales). The star of the film Free Willy was one if these. 

So yesterday, at one point I left H reading in the vehicle and wandered to the beach. I saw seals (Elephant Seals it turns out), and headed towards them (not too close, I didn't want to scare them or me, they are massive). As I walked along the beach I turned in time to see the biggest dolphins I've ever seen traveling the other direction just in the water. I quickly took a photo. 

I wasn't sure if they were just big dolphins or Orcas, but later, when I read an information board about Orcas, I realized that might very well have been Orcas. And everyone I've shown the photo too seems to think they were Orcas. 

(I can't post the photo today, it's on my camera and since my ipad as nicked I can't easily upload my photos) 

We also saw rheas (like emu), manu's (strange thing, like a rabbit crossed with a deer, almost), armadillo (which means that we've now seen both types of armadillo available here), nesting Magellanic Penguins (at arms length too), elephant seals, sea lions, and the common Guanacos (like Llamas) and common Martineta birds (which are really funky looking ground running things). 

So, now we'll head south on the coast for a bit.... There's still another two types of dolphin to spot. 

But, before we leave... It's back to visit the fisherman: 1kg of scallops (on shell) for about $12, and although I'd never cooked them before I did really well and I'd like to do it again.