SKA Blog

Kayaking with whales is a “Bucket List” item for many outdoors enthusiasts. Floating on tranquil tide at eye level with a spy-hopping whale is an unforgettable experience. There is something special about meeting this intelligent, wild creature in its home habitat. Kayaks allow for a more intimate setting than commercial whale watching cruises, as you can observe the whales’ behavior without the sound of a motor or flocks of other guests jostling to a boat railing for a look. Additionally, the eco-minded will enjoy the low impact of carbon-neutral kayaks on the ocean habitat of these gentle giants. Best of all, Sea Kayak Adventures offers a number of tours to kayak with whales in a variety of the world’s most beautiful wilderness areas. Where would you like to go?

Sept-Dec, spring in the southern hemisphere, is the "right" time see the southern right whale. Pods travel up from Antarctic waters to give birth in the sheltered lagoons of Peninsula Valdes UNESCO World Heritage site in southern Argentina. This offers an excellent opportunity to be in close proximity to these ungainly looking but acrobatic whales. They were called "right" whales by the early whalers because they floated once harpooned, making them easier to harvest.

We still have room on our Dec 3-10, 2011 departure to kayak with these whales and their calves, and view them also from our campsites and by small boat.   We also tour penguin colonies and view rheas and guanacos (a llama-like creature) in this splendid World Heritage Site.

Curious about these unusual whales? The following video clip is a research documentary on Southern Right Whales primarily in Peninsula Valdes: Whale Trackers: Southern right whales of Argentina

UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, founded 16 November, 1945. In pursuit of their mission, UNESCO designated 936 areas worldwide as places possessed of significant cultural or natural heritage for preservation for future generations. These sites receive funding and expert advice for preservation efforts from UNESCO, which has deemed them to have "outstanding universal value to humanity."

UNESCO World Heritage Sites & Sea Kayak Adventures

We operate kayaking/whale watching tours in two of only 32 UNESCO "Natural" World Heritage Sites in all Latin and South America. These areas are Loreto Bay National Marine Park (part of the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California UNESCO World Heritage site) in southern Baja California, Mexico and Patagonia's Peninsula Valdes World Heritage Site in Argentina.  We also operate tours in British Columbia, Canada's Johnstone Strait, home to Robson Bight Ecological Preserve, which, while not a UNESCO site, remains the world's only orca preserve. 

Loreto Bay became a national marine park in July, 1996, first by presidential decree then confirmed by the national congress of Mexico.  Loreto Bay then became part of the UNESCO World Heritage site July 2005; a culmination of concerned local citizens' efforts and Mexico's diligent actions to preserve important national natural sites.  This World Heritage site is home to 891 fish species, including 90 endemic fishes.  A third of the world's cetacean species are found in the Gulf of California/Sea of Cortez.  According to UNESCO, this site is home to 695 vascular plant species, more than in any marine and insular property on the World Heritage List.  In addition to the biodiversity and wildlife value of the region, fishing for sustenance and for sport and eco-tourism such as sea kayaking, snorkeling, SCUBA diving and whale watching are widely popular, and greatly contribute to the culture and the economy that sustains the citizenry of Loreto.

Península Valdés UNESCO World Heritage site in the Patagonia area of Argentina is "a site of global significance for the conservation of marine mammals", according to UNESCO.  Peninsula Valdes also hosts the breeding grounds for critical populations of elephant seals, endangered southern right whales, southern sea lions, and sea birds. Sea Kayak Adventures guests may encounter Armadillos, ostrich-like rheas, maras (Patagonian hares) and llama-like guanacos that roam the sweeping landscape. Click here to view a photo gallery for this trip. http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripwow/ta-0262-aca0-6b07

Read more about the process of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the history of UNESCO's preservation efforts:

UNESCO World Heritage FAQ

History of World Heritage Sites

An interesting side note - countries must uphold the strict preservation standards of UNESCO to avoid being delisted.

Patagonia: What is the best time to travel and see whales?

Patagonia offers a unique experience for whale watching.  Southern right whales choose the shallow coastal areas to give birth and are often visible directly from the beaches surrounding these coves. However, these whales are migratory and have only a limited window during which they calve in the protected lagoons of the Peninsula Valdes UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rest of the year they are at their feeding grounds in Antarctica - where most of us will never venture to view them!

So what is the best time to see the whales? RIGHT NOW! These right whales begin to arrive in mid-September and return southward in mid-December.  These three months host incredible sightings of right whale acrobatics, adorable baby antics, and a variety of other other interesting creatures.

Even better, this time frame is spring in the southern hemisphere and the lagoon is a sheltered, protected body of water. Thus the weather and location make it perfect for sea kayakers of most ability levels. Imagine kayaking near a family of frolicking right whales! Are you ready to sign up yet?!

We provide all gear and guides on this camping/lodge kayaking/whale watching combo (airfare not included).  To any of our kayak tours can be added an extension to explore the Fitzroy mountains and Moreno Glacier.  Call now to reserve your spot for this fall!  We only have a few spaces left for 2011 on Oct 3-10 and Dec 3-10, 2011 tours.