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EXPEDITION OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE PATAGÔNIA ARGENTINA
Outdoor photography course in the Valdés Peninsula - February of 2004
 

GEOGRAPHIC ASPECTS
Valdés peninsula

Declared a area of "Natural Patrimony of the Humanity", the Valdes Peninsula - Patagonia have in its coasts an important biodiversity of fauna and flora, exclusive of this zone, that show to characteristics special distinct environments in accordance with, as of estepe patagônica and the marine way.

The Valdés Peninsula is located the northwest of the Province of Chubut, Argentina, in the edges of the Atlantic Ocean. It approximately possesss an area of 360 a thousand hectares and if it joins to the continent for the Isthmus Carlos Ameghino (extension of 35km). To the north and the south its coasts are bathed by waters of the gulfs San Jose and Novo, respectively. The east is bathed by the water of the Atlantic Ocean. The dominant landscape corresponds to meseta patagônica, with soft or abrupt falls in direction to the sea. Three great internal depressions exist, that are conformed by the three great salt mines of the region. In its coasts, cliffs if alternate with extensive beaches of sand, rolled pebble or platforms of sea erosion. The total covered one of the circuit of visitation of the Valdés Peninsula is of 420km.

Cold waters of the Atlantic in the Patagônia, tide low - photo of Vilmar Molon
One would loberia close to Puerto Pyramids - photo of Vilmar Molon
Meseta and falésias with the vegetation of estepe in the maritime coast of the Patagônia - photo of Vilmar Molon
 
 
 
 
The rank of entrance in the Valdés Peninsula is located the 40 km of Puerto Madryn. From there, the 27 distances are of km for the Island of Birds and 58 km for Puerto Pyramids. Of Puerto Pyramids – that it will be our base in the Valdés Peninsula -, for land roads they are 79 km for the Thin Punta, 75km for the Caleta Valdés, 280 km for the pinguineira of the Punta Tumble and 83 km for the Punta North.

Source: Guía Total Madryn 2003/2004 - Valdés Peninsula. Ediciones Patrian.

PUERTO PIRAMIDES

Puerto Pyramids is a located tourist village in the Valdés Peninsula, to one hour of automobile of Puerto Madryn (97kms). Its extensive beaches of and soft declivities are protected by scarps that if resemble the pyramids. The village if extends to the long one of the beach of Bahia of Pyramids, of where if it can appreciate impressive entardeceres and very shining nocturnal skies, repletos of stars.
In the environs of the village it is the colony of marine wolves of one for the one of Punta Pyramid. Beyond the marine wolves, the fauna of the place is rich in gulls, cormorões and other birds, as the medium brown ostreiro and the black. This is also an area with important paleontological outcrops. Located 5km of Puerto Pyramids, it allows to sight beyond distinct species of sea and terrestrial fauna, also the frank whale, that is in the region between June the December.
Puerto Piramides is a small village, but it makes use of a series of services as warehouses, bars, restaurants, access to the InterNet, firemen and hospital for emergencies.


SALT MINES

Distant approximately 30km of Puerto Pyramids is the salt mines Great, Chica and Gran Salitral. This last one has approximately 35km squared of extension and is located between 4 and 42 meters below of the level of the sea. Due to its composition physicist-chemistry and to the incidence of the solar light, they present a coloration in pink tones, depending on the hour and the cloudiness.


ASPECTS OF THE FAUNA IN PENINSULA VALDÉS


Guanaco - relative of the camel, lhamas and alpacas. It is of diurne habits. The groups are formed by a male, leader, and of 10 the 12 females. Until about 8 a thousand years behind, it was resource of subsistence for the aboriginals of the region.

Mara - it is a rodent of great transport, having almost the double of the size of an adult européia hare. It can weigh up to eight kilos. Still that he has the popular name of patagônica hare is, in the truth, a distant relative of the hares.

Martineta - bird that remembers a hen of Angola. When it is in reproductive season, it is seen in groups of three individuals, a female and two males.

Gray fox - it is of solitary habits e, in general, nocturnal. It remembers to ours graxaim. It has for custom to occult food leftovers between the vegetation.

Choique - relative of emas and ñandus. The females put eggs and abandon the territory leaving the hatch (between 10 and 60 eggs) to the cares of the male. They are very sociable between itself.

Orcas - they are pertaining mammals to the order of the cetáceos. Differently of the whales, they possess teeth. In the Valdés Peninsula, they are you observed between the months of February and April, and October the November, in the Punta North, Caleta Valdés and in the Gulf San Jose. Orcas of the Patagônia – is specialists; e probably the only ones that they carry through – in the propositada invasion of the beach (varamento), in food search. Differently of the biggest part of the dolphins, orcas has a very robust body. The great males can more than measure nine meters and regret about eight tons. Its dorsal wing can measure up to two meters of height. The females can measure up to six meters and regret more than five tons. They have an average longevity of 60 years, in freedom. In captivity, they live between five and ten years.

Dark dolphin - a maximum length of two meters has and weighs around of 90 kilos. It has the short and rounded off snout. The sexos possess a dorsal wing in both. The births happen in the summer. Usually they are grouped between six and fifteen animals, being able, however, to congregate themselves gem rupos of up to 400 individuals when they appear shoals of fish of anchovies. They possess teeth and if they detach for its social behavior, if communicating for the emission of sounds in high frequencies.

Penguin of Magalhães - it is a sea bird. Excellent swimmer, does not possess, however, capacity to fly. In the September month the male penguins arrive. They locate its nest (the same q that had abandoned in the previous year). Two weeks later arrive the females. The acasalamentos also recover, between the same males and females of previous seasons. The contamination of the sea for oil is one of the threats more serious than it has the penguin. Another activity that can affect its cycle of life is the sobrepesca, reducing the food availability. The penguins of Magalhães have between 50 and 60 cm of height and four the five kilos of weight. The males are slightly bigger who the females. Both the sexos have the same coloration, the adults with the black coasts and the white chest, with a double black band. The eggs are incubados during 40 days, for the male and the female. The younglings weigh about 80g, to the rising and are covered by an gray penagem, which move during the February month. The adults change its plumage when finishing the period of reproduction, enter the months of March and April.

Marine elephants - they call attention for its form and great male tamanho.Os possess prosbosis or inflatable, characteristic whirlwind that it approaches them to the terrestrial elephants and that them was valid the popular name. The males reach sizes of up to five meters of length and four tons of weight, while the females have lengths of up to three meters and a ton of weight. One multiplies enters August and March, in the Peninsula Valdés, a population of about 40 a thousand individuals. They are poligâmicos and they form great haréns. They are great divers, I underneath descend until depths of 1.500 meters, remaining d’água for up to two hours.




 
 

 
 

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