
Roberto Bubas, Park Ranger and the Orcas
Roberto Bubas in touch with the orcas in Peninsula Valdes
“It has been said that to obtain good scientific information one has to be coldly objective, register with precision the observations made, and above all, avoid all feelings of empathy towards the subject of study. It was by good fortune that I ignored these theories during the first few months in Gombe. A considerable part of my understanding and knowledge about these intelligent beings was possible because I did feel empathy towards them.” Dr. Jane Goodall
In the beginning of my investigation and as an attempt to solve certain technical problems, I approached the orcas in the water. To my surprise, the orcas not only offered me their peaceful close proximity, but also their friendship.
After recovering from my initial awe, we established a relationship that changed the early goals of my study into another search that reaches far beyond the boundary of a formal investigation. For me it could no longer be just the collection of information to be analyzed under the cold light of logical thought, but more so the search for a train of thought that would direct my daily observations in a direction of greater transcendence.
Over the years these orcas have become my family in the sea, and most likely for them, I have become their friend on the shore. Although this way of thinking could be considered far from strict scientific protocol, I have been fed by it with an internal certainty that it would result in a greater contribution to the world one day. For over a decade I have filled many notebooks with the diverse aspects of these animals’ lives, but more importantly we have shared the rising and setting sun and moonlit nights playing in the kelp or splashing in the water. These eternal instances have been etched into my memory, and maybe it is because of these special moments that I have found answers. Together they have given me an understanding of this special place occupied by both man and orca within the formidable mechanism of life.
Like man, the orcas occupy an elevated position in the general scheme of life on this planet. Different from modern man, the orcas’ behavior still rotates around the same basic necessities of our ancestors. A better understanding of the orcas’ life stories might bring us closer to our own story, and in the end assist us in correcting the direction of our existence. In the meantime, we do know that Orcas and Man are travel partners in the journey throughout this world, where everything is intimately associated.
Maybe the relationship that the orcas and I have established means something more than just a noteworthy example of interaction between two different species. Perhaps, and above all, it is a message that can help us remember that we are not alone nor superior than other living beings in the world. We share the same home and we will never be able to separate ourselves from one simple truth: what happens with the orcas or any other species in our planet will, sooner or later, happen to us.

PDF – Tecnical Report Eco Hotel / Marine Wildlife / Birds / Maps form Valdes Peninsula – Argentine Patagonia

Isla de los Pájaros, o… Tombolo de las Aves?
¿Por qué? Porque esta porción de meseta al bajar la marea queda unida al continente, hecho que sucede 2 veces por día, tan así es que durante un par de horas se podría realizar el trayecto caminando, sin mojarse los tobillos. Ahora, con la marea alta, todo lo contrario, esa lengua de arena que se ve con marea baja, es tapada por el mar y el agua cubre toda la superficie que la une a la Península, convirtiendola por unas horas en isla, a esta característica particular geomorfológica se la denomina Tómbolo.

Documentary Photographers and Film makers during Whale Season. “God makes them…and Puerto Piramides brings them together”
Whale Watching season creates intense seasonal activity y Puerto Piramides and Valdes Peninsula. Waiting during the off season for the whales to arrive and the possibility of navigating Golfo Nuevo in their presence wakes the adventurous appetite in all of us. Either by large Catamaran, small boat, RIBs or in the new innovative semi-submersible Yellow Submarine, providing underwater views, you will board in Puerto Piramides, the only authorized port for whale watching in Valdes Peninsula. In honor of the Argentine saying “God makes them, and they find each other”, Del Nomade Eco Hotel is the corner where nature photographers and cameramen will be found in Puerto Piramides. An ecologically friendly hotel designed by and for photographers, where each room is made comfortable with thermal regulated flooring and electrical plugs in abundance.
Del Nomade Eco Friendly Hotel
We will gladly answer your question 😀
+54 92804635649
Send an email to:
info@ecohosteria.com.ar
We will respond promptly.
Thank You
Fortunately, during the waiting months when there are no whales in sight other seasonal encounters offer alternatives for the adventure photographer. Yes, in Valdes Peninsula there are other animals and wild savage nature, outside of whale season, to be observed, photographed and to stimulate your senses.
Aside from whales, nature and wildlife photography in Valdes Peninsula includes, amongst others species, Orcas, Penguins, Elephant Seals and Sea Lions, the last of which can be experienced up close swimming or diving with them throughout the year. From September through April the Valdes Peninsula is home to a number of important and large marine animals. Whales abandon the area in December, migrating towards their feeding grounds far from Valdes Peninsula, but many other species remain.
This particular situation puts Puerto Piramides, with its 500 inhabitants, at the heart of the Valdes Peninsula Nature Reserve and World Heritage Site, the epicenter of activity for documentary film crews and nature photographers.
Aside from several colleagues that live in Puerto Piramides and work in the realm of nature photography, the rest of the locals capture some amazing images as well, taking advantage of the good fortune that surrounds them in this unequalled natural environment. The photographers are the ones that usually find a different point of view through their lenses, unveiling natural beauty from another perspective, and exposing glorious moments frozen in an image for all of time.
The constant advances in technology make their presence felt all the time in Valdes Peninsula. Television production crews like Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, National Geographic and others from around the world arrive each year with the latest in imaging technology to document wild nature with the best definition and techniques possible.
At Del Nomade Ecological Hotel there are visitors whose annual return over the course of many seasons, has made them a part of Del Nomade. Two of these regulars are Ana Ponce and Belen Etchegaray of FNA (Argentine Nature Photography), who come each and every whale season with groups of amateur nature photographers. They use this incredible destination to put into practice the techniques they have learned in the FNA photography classes.A fascinating world for those with a passion for nature, wildlife and the sea. This unique place of adventure is the ideal ground for nurturing the seeds of liberty and filling ones senses with freedom.
The evenings are shared with colleagues, friends, tourists, whale boat captains and guides in the several bars and restaurants that are scattered throughout our tiny town. The day’s adventures are shared around the table at night, all a part of the same story. “Guanaco” artisan beer pub and restaurant is one of these meeting places. With pizzas, pastas and a variety of artisan beers on tap and in bottles combined with a warm, inviting and adventurous environment this is one of the places I recommend for nature lovers and wildlife photographers alike.
Before heading off to your room to sleep, I suggest a walk along the beach, with small waves breaking and the occasional breathing of a whale as a background soundtrack and the milky-way blanketing the night sky, bringing to a close a day far from the norm.

Mapas de Península Valdés en una guiada virtual
https://ecohosteria.com.ar/peninsula-valdes-ingleso-y-generalidades/

Claudio Nicolini – Capitán y Guía en Avistajes de Ballenas
Claudio Nicolini es un vecino oriundo de la provincia de Santa Fé, del pueblo Cañada Rosquín mas exactamente, es fanático de la pesca de toda la vida y futbolista retirado. Descubrió en Puerto Pirámides, su lugar en el mundo cuando llegó en 1998 y decidió vivir en casilla rodante por muchos años en el camping, con tal de poder estar en la paz de nuestra maravillosa aldea turística. Al tener una vida dedicada al trabajo en el mar y contacto con la fotografía de naturaleza, no pudo resistirse y empezó a fotografiar ballenas. Se apasionó tanto que logró capturar instantes privilegiados y exhibirlos en varias exposiciones fotográficas y artículos en revistas. Hoy instalado en su casa, es capitán de avistajes de ballenas, trabaja en salida de buceo con lobos marinos y realiza con su lancha Deyje II salidas especiales con documentalistas y fotógrafos de todo el mundo. En la foto de abajo Claudio lleva al fotógrafo Gabriel Rojo y al documentalista Segundo Serrato en una producción para la National Geographic.

Paturuzú el Cacique de Historieta
El 19 de octubre de 1928 apareció el personaje, el último indio tehuelche,Paturuzú venido de la Patagonia. En ese momento, estaba naciendo un legítimo personaje de historietas, que fue un simbolo de argentinidad durante decadas. El nombre derivaba de una golosina de la época llamada Pasta de Orozú. Según el relato, que salió en el diario Crítica, Patoruzú, último Cacique de los Tehuelches Gigantes, llega a Buenos Aires desde la Patagonia, acompañado de su ñandú “Carmela”, en donde comienzan las Andanzas de Patoruzú. El 12 de Noviembre de 1936 apareció el primer número del mensuario Patoruzú, el cual fue un suceso de repercusión masiva. Utilizando el formato apaisado imprimieron 100.000 ejemplares y se se agotó en el día.

Cuis Chico – Fauna amorosamente pequeña
https://ecohosteria.com.ar/fauna-de-peninsula-valdes-animales-de-patagonia/