Patagonia Birds & Wildlife with Canadian Geographic

This Patagonia Birds and Wildlife Tour with Canadian Geographic begins in Ushuaia, known by the Argentines as the world’s most southerly city, located on the island of Tierra del Fuego. It is also the country’s only community on the western slope of the Andes. This is the sending-off point for most Antarctic cruises. We won’t have to go that far to see exciting wildlife, as up to three species of penguins can be found regularly within a short distance of town.

On our first day here we’ll visit a penguin rookery that features hundreds of Magellanic Penguins and a small number of Gentoos—the only South American colony of this latter species. It’s possible to see the penguin’s most feared enemy here: Leopard Seals, which are recolonizing the area. This excursion will include a visit to an interesting whale museum and historic farm.

We’ll ply the waters of the Beagle Channel in a large boat where we’ll see South American Sea Lions up close, and seek out a variety of birds such as Dolphin Gull, Flightless Steamer-duck, Snowy Sheathbill, Blackish Cinclodes and Black-browed Albatross. On land we’ll have time to check out three species of goose and other birds such as caracaras, eagles, woodpeckers and swallows.

The Southern Beech forests spill into the ocean here, providing that “Edge of the world” feeling, not to mention an out-of-this-world experience! During our downtime, along the touristic streets of Ushuaia, there will be a chance to shop for crafts made by local artisans and sample some delicious Argentine food. Three nights in Ushuaia.

This morning, we embark in our comfy van over the southernmost section of the Andes into the flatlands, showing us the vast scale of Tierra del Fuego. We’ll stop at a quaint bakery to try some delicious Argentine treats, such as medialunas and alfajores. Bus drivers fill up on hot water for their mate drinks.

We’ll pass over Rio Grande—the mouth of the largest river on the island and an area where some of the longest-migrating North American birds spend their off-season. With luck we’ll see some Red Knots and Hudsonian Godwits 15,000km from their breeding grounds.

In the afternoon, we’ll cross into Chile at a backroads border station and continue to Bahia Inútil (Useless Bay) for a special visit to Chile’s only King Penguin colony. Hosting around one hundred adults (and growing) and a few fuzzy adolescents, the site is a great example of a well-managed tourism and conservation initiative. It is always a highlight. Night in Cerro Sombrero.

We have an hour drive to arrive at the Magellan Straight, where we’ll cross on a car ferry, staying on the lookout for Commerson’s and Dusky Dolphins and many ocean birds. The main focus for today is the remote Pali Aike National Park where terrestrial wildlife abounds. This is the guanaco’s domain, where herds of this llama-like mammal roam freely on the protected grasslands. Lesser Rheas are abundant here.

Where there are guanacos, there are pumas, and we’ll be on the lookout for these elusive cats. Several caves in the park present interesting archaeological history and we can enter one of them after we walk into the crater of an extinct volcano!

On the roads in Pali Aike we should find some nice-looking birds such as Chocolate-vented Tyrant, Cinnamon-bellied Ground-Tyrant, White-bridled Finch and Tawny-throated Dotterel. Other mammals may include both South American Gray Fox and Humboldt’s Hog-nosed Skunk.

After a steady drive we will spend the night in Puerto Natales on the shores of the Pacific, our second ocean of the day. Night in Puerto Natales.

The next morning we will walk the town’s ocean-front promenade to see Black-necked Swans, often with fluffy cygnets on their backs. Not far out of town we stop by the Cueva de Milodon, a massive cavern where these now-extinct mammals lived over 5,000 years ago.

Then it’s off to the spectacular Torres del Paine National Park. Arguably the single most scenic location in all of South America, this large and wild reserve is a nature lover’s dream and on every landscape photographer’s bucket list. Based at a cozy hotel inside the park, we’ll drive the dirt roads in hopes of tracking down a puma (mountain lion). On previous trips we’ve seen up to nine cats in several hours! This is the best place in the world to see them and with luck we’ll find them hunting among the herds of guanacos.

Other highlights in Torres del Paine include Andean Condors soaring overhead looking for scraps, and Chilean Flamingoes walking the shores of Laguna Amarga. Another possibility is the Huemul, a deer known as one of the rarest mammals in South America. Spectacled and Torrent Ducks, Magellanic Woodpecker, White-throated Treerunner and Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle are just some of the exciting birds that round up the park’s list.

We’ll walk the shores of a glacial lake to see turquoise icebergs up close. Horseback riding is an optional excursion while here. Nights in Torres del Paine.

We exit the park today and cross back into Argentina at another small border crossing. A drive across the windswept pampas will highlight the importance of sheep farming in the region and we might encounter some Argentine gauchos working the land.

Soon we’ll arrive in El Calafate, a former gaucho enclave but now one of Argentina’s most touristic centres. In the evening we can explore the waterfront on the shores of Lago Argentina then enjoy a fantastic meal.

Our main objective is to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier, a river of ice spilling from the Southern Patagonian Icecap. We get amazing views of this behemoth spilling chunks of ice into Lago Argentina, sometimes forming a spectacular ice bridge that collapses every few years.

We have plenty of time here to view the majesty of this gigantic glacier as it advances toward the elaborate viewing platforms. Austral Parakeets, Fiery-eyed Diucons and Thorn-tailed Rayaditos are some local birds with strange names and varied morphology.

After we’ve had our fill we return to El Calafate to relax on our last evening of the tour.