Orcas v Seal Pups – Round 2

This was organised by a local tour operator. The bus was clean and dust free. There was light rain. Our guide spoke excellent English but very poor Scottish/Australian and couldn’t understand any of Tricia’s questions.

The town is like Whyalla, but without any hills. It is also an Aluminium smelter. It imports its raw materials from Australia, its power from 500 Km away, and its water from 400 Km away. Well located, not.

The environs are just like the rest of the east coast of Patagonia, gravel pit.

However, this bus trip was smooth and uneventful.

We got to Punta Norte at low tide. The least likely time to see any Orca. And we are told we will be leaving to go to other dreary sites of no interest before the viewing window starts. However, our leader Amanda (who did survive the morning of the long knives and forks), negotiated to drop the other visits and stay here for the whole day.

Once again the Armadillos and Grey Fox in the car park created much entertainment. Especially when I (accidentally) held chocolate cake in the same hand as my camera to get some low angle shots. Three armadillos charged and fought to get me first.

A couple of hours later we all start to take up prime positions (based on yesterdays viewing). After an hour and half, and only half and hour until we must leave, it looks like we shouldn’t have bothered hanging around. But then David yells fin!

It’s in the same place as our first sighting yesterday, but there are no seal pups over there today, only in the main colony just to our right. Maybe they’ll attack with perfect light behind us?

The pod of 5 or 6 pass the headland and enter the narrow channel right in front of us. 10,000 clicks later they head away from the beach (and the seal colony) and then do a 180 degree turn. They are heading right for the juicy seal pups! Everyone is clicking furiously as they close. This could be it, seal pup blood, perfectly lit flowing from a freshly slit throat. But no, they do another 180 and head out of the channel to the deep sea and with a “sucked you in” tail slap they are gone.

Our entire group was happy, even the ones that were turning away when it seemed one of those cute little pups may be torn to shreds.

We got back to the ship just in time to avoid any late berthing penalties.