Valdés Peninsula

Can you hear the salty sea breeze whisper? Can you smell the fresh, splashy water of the ocean? I am a big, sandy arm reaching out into the bright blue Atlantic Ocean. I live in a country called Argentina. My shores are a playground for some of the most amazing animals you will ever see. Giant whales sing deep songs in my bays, thousands of penguins waddle along my beaches, and cheerful sea lions bark hello to the sun. I am the Valdés Peninsula, a very special home for some of the world's most wonderful animals.

For a very, very long time, my shores have felt the patter of feet. The first people to walk here were the Tehuelche people. They lived with me for thousands of years, listening to my ocean songs and watching my animal family grow. Much later, visitors came in big ships from across the sea. In the year 1779, Spanish explorers arrived and built a small fort they called San José. They didn't stay forever, and by 1810, the fort was gone. Then, in the early 1900s, other people came. They built a little town called Puerto Pirámides. Do you know why? They came to collect the sparkly white salt from my salt flats. It looked like a field of diamonds glistening in the sun.

My greatest treasure is my amazing animal family. Every year, between June and December, I welcome my biggest visitors. The gentle southern right whales swim to my calm, safe bays to have their babies. I love to watch the new whale calves splash and play. On my sandy beaches, you can find thousands of loud, playful sea lions and giant elephant seals napping in the sun. They look like sleepy, giant potatoes. And that’s not all. Clever orcas, also known as killer whales, sometimes swim near my shores, looking for a snack. And my most famous residents are the Magellanic penguins. Thousands and thousands of them build their nests here, turning parts of my coast into a bustling city of black and white birds.

As more people learned about my incredible animals, they knew I was a treasure that needed to be kept safe. In 1983, the people of Argentina made me a special park, a nature reserve, which is like putting a big, protective hug around me and all my creatures. Then, something even more wonderful happened. On December 4th, 1999, the whole world gave me a special title. I became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a promise from everyone, everywhere, to protect me forever. I love it when visitors come to watch my animals quietly from a distance. They learn how important it is to care for our planet’s wild and beautiful places, so that the whales can always have a place to sing.