Península Valdés

Sini, from Finland, also sent me this amazing postcard of the Península Valdés in Argentina, country that she visited in 2011.

Península Valdés in Patagonia is a site of global significance for the conservation of marine mammals. It is home to an important breeding population of the endangered southern right whale as well as important breeding populations of southern elephant seals and southern sea lions. The orcas in this area have developed a unique hunting strategy to adapt to local coastal conditions. . in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/937/

Young Southern Right Whale

The southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) is a baleen whale, one of three species classified as right whales belonging to the genus Eubalaena. Like other right whales, the southern right whale is readily distinguished from others by the callosities on its head, a broad back without a dorsal fin, and a long arching mouth that begins above the eye. Its skin is very dark grey or black, occasionally with some white patches on the belly. (...) Approximately 10,000 southern right whales are spread throughout the southern part of the Southern Hemisphere.

The size of an adult female is 15 m (49 ft) and can weigh up to 47 tonnes (46 long tons; 52 short tons), with the larger records of 17.5–18 m (57–59 ft) in length and 80 tonnes (79 long tons; 88 short tons) in weight,^[13] making them slightly smaller than other right whales in Northern Hemisphere. - in: wikipedia