Name: Orcas en el canal de ataque (Punta Norte, Argentina)
Brand: Argentina Wild Expeditions
SKU: 1

“There are no words to explain what it is like to be in the attack channel of Punta Norte and see the behaviour of the orcas. To see an orca practically out of the water, shaking a sea lion to eat it and share it later with its family gives you goosebumps. There is no other word than “wild” to describe the intelligence, tenacity and audacity of these animals”. ARGENTINA WILD EXPEDITIONS.

The Punta Norte Nature Reserve is in the extreme northeast of the Valdés Peninsula, within the San Matías Gulf, province of Chubut, Argentine Patagonia.

The famous attack channel can be reached on foot through a 700-meter path, accompanied by a wildlife ranger and with special permissions to take photographs.

Two lateral sandbanks (foreshore of sedimentary rock) and a beach with pebbles and a certain slope, create the perfect channel. It is a space almost 70 meters wide which leaves the colony of sea lions exposed to attack by the orcas as the tide rises. Adult sea lions are not usually afraid of orcas, as they know that their target is the pups which are making their first forays into the sea.

The best time to wait for orcas in the channel is from 3 hours before and up to 3 hours after high tide. As the water level on the beach decreases, during low tide, the colony cannot be reached by the top predator of the oceans.

The attack channel is by far the best place to photograph this behaviour since we already know where the action will be. Sooner or later, the orcas are going to hunt in this place and with some luck and patience, we will be able to witness it.

It should be noted that we are not into a regulated area like a private aquarium and animals are not there for us. Patience and luck will be our best allies to see wild orcas feeding in their natural habitat. Thus, it is recommended to go a minimum of 5 days and their presence cannot be 100% guaranteed. Nevertheless, it is evident that this fact is something that experienced nature photographers understand.

The attack channel has been visited every season for more than 3 decades by an elite of photographers and documentary filmmakers from the most prestigious production companies, attracted by the famous hunting technique developed by a group of orcas which is known as “intentional stranding”.

The waiting time in the attack channel is approximately 6 hours per day, therefore, we will be able to take advantage of the remaining daylight hours to visit other sites in the Valdés Peninsula Protected Natural Area and its surroundings, in search of elephant seals, guanacos, Patagonian maras, lesser rheas, foxes, seabirds and birds of the steppe and several species characteristic of the Patagonian region.