Puerto Deseado
One of Darwin's favorites, a true wildlife lover's dream.
Information about Puerto Deseado
When he visited this part of Patagonia, Charles Darwin wrote that he had never before seen such a secluded place as the estuary and surround of Puerto Deseado - then known as Port Desire.
Something about the area caught his imagination, and he visited several more times during the period when his thoughts on evolution were beginning to form, drawn to the extraordinary and diverse wildlife he found.
Now, more than 150 years on, it’s the same astonishing wildlife encounters that bring modern explorers to this fishing port of 15,000 inhabitants in this remote part of Argentina, with its 20-mile long natural harbor giving way to the Deseado estuary. Since 1977, this important area has been preserved as a protected area - the Reserva Natural Ría Deseado.
A boat ride through the estuary is a must. Here you will encounter the small but striking Commerson’s Dolphin, with their distinctive black and white markings. Peale dolphins are also a regular sight. Magellanic and Patagonian penguins also make their homes here, as well as a huge number of bird species, including 5 different cormorants and 3 different oystercatchers.
Interesting facts about Puerto Deseado
A river trip is a must. The agile Commerson's dolphins look like miniature orcas with their black and white markings. Penguins, cormorants, oystercatchers, and a whole host of other birds fill the skies or sit on the rocks seemingly wherever you look. The town itself has a quaint old railway station and there's a museum that tells of its heritage as a remote fishing port.