| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 Peninsula Valdés, photo taken duringSpace Shuttle programSTS-68. | |
| Location | Biedma Department,Chubut Province,Argentina |
| Criteria | Natural: (x) |
| Reference | 937 |
| Inscription | 1999 (23rdSession) |
| Area | 360,000 ha (890,000 acres) |
| Website | peninsulavaldes |
| Coordinates | 42°30′S64°0′W / 42.500°S 64.000°W /-42.500; -64.000 |
| Official name | Humedales de Península Valdés |
| Designated | 20 July 2012 |
| Reference no. | 2070[1] |
  Location of Valdés Peninsula in Chubut Province  Valdés Peninsula (Argentina) Show map of Argentina | |
TheValdes Peninsula (Spanish:Península Valdés) is apeninsula into theAtlantic Ocean in theViedma Department of north-eastChubut Province,Argentina. It is an importantnature reserve which was listed as aWorld Heritage Site byUNESCO in 1999.[2]
The peninsula is about 3,625 km2 (1,400 sq mi) in size (not taking into account the isthmus of Carlos Ameghino which connects the peninsula to the mainland). The nearest large town isPuerto Madryn. The only town on the peninsula is the small settlement ofPuerto Pirámides. There are also a number ofestancias, where sheep are raised.
Most of the peninsula is barren land with somesalt lakes. The largest of these lakes has an elevation of about 40 m below sea level (seeextremes on Earth), until recently thought to be the lowest elevation inArgentina andSouth America (the lowest point actually beingLaguna del Carbón, Argentina, which is also the lowest point in all of South America).
The coastline is inhabited by marinemammals, such assea lions,elephant seals andfur seals. The adjacent waters contain the most important breeding ground forsouthern right whales in the world.[2] They can be found inGolfo Nuevo andGolfo San José, protected bodies of water located between the peninsula and thePatagonian mainland. Thesebaleen whales arrive between May and December, for mating and giving birth, because the water in the gulf is quieter and warmer than in the open sea.Orcas can also be found off the coast, in the open sea off the peninsula. They are known to beach themselves on shore to capture sea lions and elephant seals.
The inner part of the peninsula is inhabited byrheas,guanacos andmaras. A diverse range of birds lives in the peninsula as well, with at least 181 species recorded, including theCape petrel. The peninsula, along with neighbouring Punta León and Punta Loma, has been designated anImportant Bird Area (IBA) byBirdLife International because it supports significant populations ofMagellanic penguins (with about 150,000 breeding pairs),rock andimperial shags,kelp gulls, andSouth American,Cabot's androyal terns.[3]
Valdes Peninsula has acold desert climate (BWk) bordering on acold semi-desert climate (BSk).[4] It has a climate typical of northern Patagonia that is modified with interactions between atmospheric circulation patterns and the adjacent ocean.[5][6] The peninsula is located between thesubtropical high-pressure belt (located at 30oS) and the subpolar low-pressure zone (located between 60o and 70oS), resulting in the wind being predominantly from the west.[4][6] The mean annual temperature is 10.6 °C (51.1 °F),[4] ranging from a mean monthly temperature of 8 °C (46.4 °F) in winter to 18 °C (64.4 °F) in summer.[6] During winter, temperatures fluctuate between 0 and 15 °C (32.0 and 59.0 °F) with frosts being common, averaging 12–20 days during the season.[4] Temperatures in the summer can fluctuate between 15 and 35 °C (59.0 and 95.0 °F).[4]
Mean annual precipitation is low, averaging 240 mm (9.4 in) although this is highly variable from year to year.[4] The interior of the peninsula receives slightly lower precipitation than the coastal areas, receiving 200 to 225 mm (7.9 to 8.9 in) per year.[5] Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year though April–June receives the most precipitation.[6][5] TheEl Niño Southern Oscillation strongly influences the climate of the peninsula.[6] During an El Niño year, precipitation is higher from November to February.[6]
| Climate data for Punta Delgada Lighthouse, Valdes Peninsula | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 35.9 (96.6) | 35.6 (96.1) | 34.9 (94.8) | 30.1 (86.2) | 24.5 (76.1) | 20.9 (69.6) | 17.9 (64.2) | 21.9 (71.4) | 26.9 (80.4) | 30.4 (86.7) | 34.9 (94.8) | 37.2 (99.0) | 37.2 (99.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 22.8 (73.0) | 23.2 (73.8) | 21.1 (70.0) | 18.6 (65.5) | 14.6 (58.3) | 12.2 (54.0) | 11.2 (52.2) | 11.6 (52.9) | 13.7 (56.7) | 17.2 (63.0) | 19.4 (66.9) | 21.8 (71.2) | 17.3 (63.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.4 (63.3) | 17.6 (63.7) | 16.1 (61.0) | 13.7 (56.7) | 10.8 (51.4) | 8.2 (46.8) | 7.1 (44.8) | 7.7 (45.9) | 9.2 (48.6) | 11.5 (52.7) | 13.8 (56.8) | 15.7 (60.3) | 12.4 (54.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.1 (55.6) | 13.3 (55.9) | 12.0 (53.6) | 10.2 (50.4) | 7.0 (44.6) | 4.3 (39.7) | 3.6 (38.5) | 3.2 (37.8) | 5.5 (41.9) | 7.4 (45.3) | 9.8 (49.6) | 12.0 (53.6) | 8.5 (47.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 5.1 (41.2) | 5.4 (41.7) | 4.3 (39.7) | 0.3 (32.5) | −0.1 (31.8) | −3.4 (25.9) | −3.5 (25.7) | −2.9 (26.8) | −4.9 (23.2) | −2.4 (27.7) | 1.6 (34.9) | 2.7 (36.9) | −4.9 (23.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 13.9 (0.55) | 10.5 (0.41) | 23.5 (0.93) | 25.9 (1.02) | 25.0 (0.98) | 25.2 (0.99) | 27.9 (1.10) | 14.8 (0.58) | 16.5 (0.65) | 12.1 (0.48) | 13.1 (0.52) | 15.1 (0.59) | 223.5 (8.80) |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 68.0 | 68.5 | 68.5 | 68.5 | 72.5 | 76.5 | 77.0 | 72.5 | 72.5 | 68.0 | 69.0 | 67.5 | 70.8 |
| Source: Secretaria de Mineria[7] | |||||||||||||
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