Coastal-Marine MPA
Península Valdés
Protected Natural Area

Cover Photo © Darío Podestá

Description

The Provincial Protected Area has been declared Natural Heritage of Humanity, it includes landscapes and unique natural spectacles: the coasts and waters that surround it have a large diversity and abundance of benthic invertebrates, fish, birds and marine mammals. The Southern Right Whale and the Southern Elephant Seal have their main breeding areas on the continent. The terrestrial fauna is abundant, with typical species of arid Patagonia, some of them endemic. Its natural attractions, in addition to aspects of paleontological and historical interest, attract tourists from all over the world.

Geographic Location

Province

Chubut

Coordinates

42,55° Latitude S

63,90° Longitude W

Size and Limits

Total Area:

0

Marine Area:

0

Continental Area:

0

NOTES ON SURFACE ESTIMATION
Surface area estimated based on the calculation of the area of the polygon represented on the map (ArcGIS PRO) with an Albers Equivalent Conic projection to preserve surface area calculations.

The GIS team of the Ministry of Tourism and Protected Areas of the Province of Chubut has estimated 5750 km2 terrestrial and 4800 km2 of marine surface (Soledad Diaz Ovejero, Ministry of Tourism and Protected Areas 2020).

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Legal Aspects

Jurisdiction

Provincial

Year of Creation

1983

Creation Legislation

1983 – LAW XXIII – N° 12 (Formerly Law 2161)
2001 – Approval of the Management Plan
2001 – New boundaries LAW XI – N° 20 (Formerly Law 4722)

IUCN Management Category

Marine Area

VI – Protected Area with Managed Resources: 3360 km2

Continental Area

VI – Protected Area with Managed Resources: 5500 km2

International recognition

World Heritage Site (UNESCO). The area is part of the Valdés Biosphere Reserve, covering almost 20.000 km2. (El Hombre y la Biosfera Program, UNESCO). Site of the List of Wetlands of International Importance ( Ramsar Convention) with two “subsites”: Golfo San José y Subsite Golfo Nuevo (https://www.argentina.gob.ar/ambiente/agua/humedales/sitiosramsar/peninsulavaldes). Site of the Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN).

Photo © Darío Podestá
Photo © Darío Podestá

Eco-regions represented

Marine

North Patagonian Gulfs

Land

Patagonian steppe

Habitat Types

  • Bathymetry: The San José Gulf has depths of less than 50 m. The Golfo Nuevo has a maximum depth of 180 m. The waters near the East coast of the Valdés Peninsula have depths of 50 or less.
  • Continental Habitat: Sand dunes, shrub steppe, herbaceous steppe, saline, cliff
  • Intertidal: Sandy beach, pebble beach, sedimentary rock shoals
  • Continental Shelf: Soft sandy bottom, rocky reef, bivalve shoals, macroalgae forests
  • Oceanic: Does not have

Conservation Objectives

  • Maintain representative samples of terrestial, coastal and marine ecosystems, to ensure the continuity of natural processes.
  • Protect landscape, natural and cultural heritage.
  • Facilitate research and monitoring of the area in its natural, cultural and social aspects.
  • Promote sustainable tourism activities, artisanal fishing and mariculture, livestock and other activities compatible with conservation of the area.
  • Promote knowledge and value of the protected area in the region’s population.
Photo © Darío Podestá
Photo © Nicolás Battini
Photo © Darío Podestá
Photo © Darío Podestá
Photo © Darío Podestá
Photo © Darío Podestá
Photo © Darío Podestá

Conservation Values

1. Active dunes and their fronts
2. Erosion fronts of the plateau and current coastline
3. Dead-end lowlands
4. Marine mammals
5. Seabird nesting sites
6. Rocky reefs of the Nuevo and San José Gulfs.
7. Biodiversity of invertebrates of commercial interest in Nuevo and San José Gulfs.
8. Southern elephant seal and sea lion rookeries.
9. Central shrub steppes
10. Fort San José and Puesto de la Fuente (Manantiales)
11. Lighthouses
12. Mara

Colonies and stopover sites

The following table presents the colonies or stopover sites of some emblematic species of birds and marine mammals present within the MPA boundaries.

List of emblematic species, conservation status, abundance and trends

  • Marine Mammals

    South American fur seal

    (Otaria flavescens)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    -numerous breeding colonies with thousands of individuals and hundreds of pups per year – growing tendency-

    Southern Elephant seal

    (Mirounga leonina)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    -numerous harems on the open coastline to the East of the area, that produce thousands of pups per year; stable tendency-

    Southern Right whale

    (Eubalaena australis)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    -several hundred individuals censored each year, including females with calves; growing tendency-

    Orca

    (Orcinus orca)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    El tamaño de la población de Península Valdés se estima entre 12-30 individuos entre adultos y juveniles (Lopez y Lopez 1985, Foro 2008 ).

    Dark dolphin

    (Lagenorhynchus obscurus)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Abundante

    Austral dolphin

    (Lagenorhynchus australis)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Escasa

    Commerson’s dolphin

    (Cephalorhynchus commersonii)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Escasa

  • Marine birds, coastal and shorebirds

    Magellanic penguin

    (Spheniscus magellanicus)

    Conservation Status
    Vulnerable (escala nacional)

    Notes on abundance
    – more than 100.000 individuals in several colonies, growing tendency –

    Black-browed albatross

    (Thalassarche melanophris)

    Conservation Status
    NA

    Notes on abundance
    Escasa

    Southern Giant petrel

    (Macronectes giganteus)

    Conservation Status
    Vulnerable (escala nacional)

    Notes on abundance
    Abundante

    Flying Steamer-Duck

    (Tachyeres patachonicus)

    Conservation Status
    NA

    Notes on abundance
    Escasa

    White-headed Steamer-Duck

    (Tachyeres leucocephalus)

    Conservation Status
    Endémica, AMENAZADA (escala nacional)

    Notes on abundance
    Escasa

    Magellanic comorant

    (Phalacrocorax magellanicus)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Abundante

    Imperial cormorant

    (Phalacrocorax atriceps)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Abundante, cría en el área

    Two-banded Plover

    (Charadrius falklandicus)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Abundante, cría en el área

    American oystercatcher

    (Haematopus palliatus)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Abundante

    Blackish oystercatcher

    (Haematopus ater)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Abundante

    Hudsonian Godwit

    (Limosa haemastica)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Escasa en primavera u otoño

    Sandwich tern

    (Thalasseus sandvicensis)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Abundante

    South American tern

    (Sterna hirundinacea)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Abundante

    Kelp gull

    (Larus dominicanus)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    -several breeding colonies with tens or hundreds of pairs, decreasing tendency-

    Gaviota gris

    (Leucophaeus scoresbii )

    Conservation Status
    Amenazada (escala nacional)

    Notes on abundance
    Escasa

    White-rumped sandpiper

    (Calidris fuscicollis)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Algunos cientos en primavera u otoño

    Sanderling

    (Calidris alba)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Algunos cientos en primavera u otoño

    Red Knot

    (Calidris canutus)

    Conservation Status
    En peligro crítico (escala nacional)

    Notes on abundance
    Algunos cientos en primavera u otoño

    Royal tern

    (Thalasseus maximus)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Abundante

  • Bony Fish

    Sea salmon

    (Pseudopercis semifasciata)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Presente

    Mere

    (Acanthistius patachonicus)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Presente

    Anchovy

    (Engraulis anchoita)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Presente

  • Cartilaginous fish

    School shark

    (Galeorhinus galeus)

    Conservation Status
    CR = Critically Endangered

    Notes on abundance
    Presente

  • Invertebrates

    Shrimp

    (Pleoticus muelleri)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Presente

    Squid

    (Illex argentinus)

    Conservation Status
    NA (not assessed)

    Notes on abundance
    Presente

    Key invertebrates in the trophic web

    Conservation Status
    –

    Notes on abundance
    Presentes (por ejemplo, Munida gregaria)

    Invertebrados claves en el área: vieiras, panopea, mejillones, mejillines y pulpos

    Conservation Status
    –

    Notes on abundance
    No existen estimaciones de abundancias precisas para el área, aunque estas especies se encuentran presenten y son abundantes.

    Vulnerable invertebrate species: bryozoans, hydrozoans, cold water corals, sponges, urchins, echinoderms

    Conservation Status
    –

    Notes on abundance
    Presentes (por ejemplo, esponjas y equinodermos)

  • Habitats / Processes

    Macroalgae forests or meadows

    Conservation Status
    –

    Notes on abundance
    Presentes

Aesthetic Values

  • Extensive landscapes and seascapes with little human intervention (steppe, cliffs, dunes).
  • Underwater environments suitable for diving.
  • Concentrations of emblematic terrestrial, coastal and marine fauna.

Cultural Values

  • Paleontological and archaeological sites.
  • Vestiges of different cultures and human activities, from prehistory to the present.
  • Vestiges of historical events (Fort San José, old railway to the salt flats).

Human Activities

  • Recreational boat fishing
  • Coastal recreational fishing with line, rod or nets
  • Artisanal boat fishing with line, rod or nets
  • Artisanal fishing for bivalve mollusks by scuba diving
  • Diving (snorkeling and scuba)
  • Marine wildlife watching
  • Tourist cruises
  • Anchorage areas
  • General navigation; Commercial tourist routes; Commercial transport routes; Patrol and defense navigation
  • Scientific campaigns to evaluate the state of resources and biodiversity.
  • Scientific buoys

Conservation challenges of iconic species

The conservation of this unique natural landscape depends to a large extent on the proper administration and governance of the MPA. This implies integrated management and healthy articulation between authorities with responsibility for administering conservation, tourism, resource use, science and education, and private stakeholders with interests in the area.

The most intense pressures and threats to marine biodiversity are related to tourist and recreational uses, artisanal fishing and the accumulation of garbage on the coast (mainly plastics from deep-sea fishing). While the first two uses are developed in limited sectors within the area, industrial fishing occurs outside its limits, but its effects can spread to the interior. In addition to pollution, deep-sea fishing can create other pressures on coastal fauna when it leaves or returns to the coast, such as bycatch, “ghost fishing” in abandoned fishing gear and the alteration of trophic networks due to extraction of target species by fisheries. Other activities that occur outside the protected area can also have a considerable impact; among them are port operations and commercial shipping.

Photo © Darío Podestá
Photo © Darío Podestá

Management

Management Authority

Undersecretary of Conservation and Protected Areas -, Government of the Province of Chubut

Executive management team

Península Valdés has a non-state public entity (Administración del Área Natural Protegida Península Valdés – AANPPV) that manages the area through a Board of Directors and administers the funds from tourist admission fees to the site. AANPPV’s Board of Directors is made up of the government of the province of Chubut, the municipalities of Puerto Pirámide and Puerto Madryn, the local chambers of industry and commerce, and the association of rural landowners in the area. It has an advisory council made up of the Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia “San Juan Bosco”, the local CONICET Scientific and Technological Center, environmental NGOs, and tourism service providers. A management team from the Undersecretariat of Conservation and Protected Areas centrally oversees all protected areas (continental and coastal-marine) in the province of Chubut.

Governance – Relevant Institutions

Chubut province: in addition to the management authority, the ANPPV Administration, Directorate of Wild Fauna and Flora, Undersecretary of Fisheries, Ministry of Environment. National Government: Argentine Naval Prefecture, Argentine Navy, National Parks Administration, Argentine World Heritage Committee. Private sector: owners of rural establishments (PROPENVAL)

Land ownership

Mostly private. Approximately 130 km2 (2 %) are public land.

Management Plan approval date

Management Plan, 2001 (Approved)
Draft Management Plan Update, 2015 (Pending Approval)

Budget

The area has an annual budget calculated based on its own resources obtained from the collection of revenues and royalties, that are administered by the ANPPV Administration.

Personnel

The field staff consists of wildlife guards, distributed in five operational units. They have appropriate vehicles and communications equipment. There is also a team of professionals who work on the planning and supervision of the area.

Infrastructure

It has five operating units with homes and offices for wildlife guards (Punta Pirámide, Isla de los Pájaros, Caleta Valdés, Punta Norte and Punta Delgada). There is a checkpoint for the collection of entrance fees, and is equipped with visitor services in differents parts of the area.

Action Plan for species

No data

Management effectiveness and evaluation year

85 % – METT Assessment (2014)

Official Web site

https://peninsulavaldes.org.ar/

Public use

Number of visitors; year of estimate
300000

The maximum number was 361.000 people in 2008

Visitor services
  • Visitor center
  • restrooms
  • road network
  • pedestrian paths
  • viewpoints
  • posters
  • brochures
Entrance fees
0

The fee for foreigners is about USD12; Argentine visitors pay half.

Information about data

Authors and reviewers, date of update: Guillermo Harris and Valeria Falabella (WCS – January 2020); Soledad Díaz Ovejero (Ministerio de Turismo y Áreas Protegidas de la Provincia de Chubut, March 2020)
Sources consulted: Management Plan (2001), Draft Management Plan Update (2015)
Bird and marine mammal colonies: See Bibliography

©2019 ACMP Áreas Costero Marino Protegidas de Argentina

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