Argentina is home to Valdés Peninsula, a major breeding and calving site for southern right whales. The peninsula projects into the Atlantic Ocean from Argentina’s Patagonia region in Chubut Province.
Every year, southern right whales migrate from feeding grounds to the peninsula’s sheltered waters, where they mate, give birth, and nurse calves. Their seasonal presence has made the area one of the world’s best-known whale-watching destinations. The population suffered severe historical hunting pressure but has recovered substantially since commercial whaling protections were introduced.
UNESCO designated the Valdés Peninsula a Natural World Heritage Site in 1999. The area also supports elephant seals, sea lions, guanacos, rheas, and Magellanic penguins. The peninsula should not be confused with Argentina’s Peninsula Mitre, farther south in Tierra del Fuego; Valdés is especially associated with marine wildlife and whale conservation.