Argentina is known for some spectacular wildlife spotting areas. Not only is the wildlife unique, but their surrounding habitats are often stunning. Some of the areas to find large concentrations of wildlife are the swampy Iberá Wetlands in Corrientes Province; around the Iguazú Falls; and the entire Patagonia area in the south of the country which includes Peninsula Valdés, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, and the Beagle Channel.
1. Iberá Wetlands – Corrientes Province
The Iberá Wetlands is comparable to the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland area located across Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. It is teeming with wildlife such as caiman, otters, capybaras, wolves, howler monkeys and over 400 species of birds.
Giant otter Cayman Green iguana Armadillo Marmoset monkey Pygmy marmoset monkey
2. Iguazu Falls – Misiones Province
Between the many vantage points of the Iguazu Falls you can walk through the rainforest to see coatis and tropical birds. Some of the walkways get real close to the thundering falls and you will get completely soaked by the spray. Just keep watching for the wildlife.
Coati Bare-faced curassow Red-winged tinamou Red-breasted toucan Blue and gold macaws Red and green macaw
3. Peninsula Valdés – Patagonia
Arguably the best area to experience wildlife in Argentina is at Peninsula Valdés, a Patagonian coastal nature reserve. Located in the Argentinian Province of Chubut, the peninsula is known for its conservation of marine mammals with a large breeding population of the endangered southern right whale as well as active breeding populations of southern elephant seals, southern sea lions and thousands of nesting Magellanic penguins.
One of the biggest attractions in this area is observing the unique hunting strategy of the killer whale or orcas—a coordinated strategy to encircle and push their prey into shallow waters where they are devoured.
Sea-lions Sea-lion rookery Southern right whale Southern elephant seals Southern elephant seals Magellanic penguins Guanacos
4. Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego – Patagonia
Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of Argentina also has many species of wildlife. Look out for several species of mammals, including the guanaco, Andean fox, and the North American beaver. Ignore the many European rabbits as they don’t belong here, and neither do other introduced species such as Canadian beaver, muskrat rodent, mink and armadillo. A few pairs of European rabbits were introduced to the Chilean side of Tierra del Fuego Island in 1936 and knowing these bunnies, they multiplied rapidly. Due to these unwelcome breeders, the ground in many parts of the park became riddled with holes, and some areas denuded of vegetation.
Back in 1950, the rabbit population was estimated to be a whopping 30 million. In an attempt to control them, grey foxes, which never existed on Tierra del Fuego Island, were released in 1951. The grey fox and the native Patagonian fox did not do much to control the rabbit population, so the much-feared myxoma virus that causes myxomatosis in rabbits was introduced. It almost decimated the entire rabbit population, however, some survived so today there are still plenty of rabbits to be seen within the park.
Among the many species of birds in the park are kelp goose, upland goose, torrent duck, southern crested caracara, Austral parakeet, Andean condor, blackish oystercatcher, and the Magellanic oystercatcher.
Upland goose Black-faced Ibis Chimango caracara Southern crested caracara
5. The Beagle Channel
At the most southern part of Argentina, around La Isla de Los Lobos in the Beagle Channel, are more wildlife including many sea lions.
Imperial cormorant Sea lions Sea lions Sea lions
☛ Read more:
Argentina – The Long Way Down
In Awe at the Patagonia Glaciers
10 Great Experiences in Argentina
Blog post and photos by Peter who has been travelling almost full-time since 2005 and has been to over 122 countries. He visited several countries, such as Japan, more than 20 times. Peter is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of GlobeRovers Magazine, an independent travel magazine focused on intrepid destinations.