Today I'm heading out to the Valdes Peninsula hoping to see some whales. Since Antarctica I have become fascinated by these elusive creatures. I'm due to catch the 7.40am bus to Puerto Piramides but it doesn´t turn up until 8.30. Ten minutes into the three-hour journey, the bus breaks down for no apparent reason and me and seven other passengers wait half an hour for a replacement bus.
Puerto Piramides is a tiny place situated on the Golfo Nuevo on the Valdes Peninsula. It's dry, dusty and the wind is continually kicking up sand. I had originally planned on staying here for three or four days but am now relieved I changed my plans as there doesn`t seem to be a lot to do (apart from whale watching). It's also the end of the season when the Southern Right Whale (Ballena Franca Austral) migrates to Antarctica to feed on krill, so whale sightings are by no means guaranteed.
There appears to be five or six places offering whale watching tours but the first I enquire at isn`t going out today as it's too windy. I book at the next place I visit and then head 400 metres up the (only) road, quaintly named 'Avenida de Ballenas' (Whale Avenue). The wind is whipping up the dust and by the time I arrive I'm again resembling a Scooby-Doo monster.
On the boat the high winds make the sea rough and choppy but we still manage to spot three or four pods. One of the whales is 17 metres long. A resounding 'wow' echoes around the boat. Amazing creatures.
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