World Heritage Identification Number: 937
World Heritage since: 1999
Category: Natural Heritage
WHE Type: Natural Landscapes & Geographic Features
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇦🇷 Argentina
Continent: Americas
UNESCO World Region: Latin America and the Caribbean
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A Natural Marvel: The Península Valdés, Argentina's UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Península Valdés, nestled within the Viedma Department of northeastern Chubut Province in Argentina, stands as a testament to the breathtaking diversity and resilience of marine life. This 3,500 square kilometer peninsula, bordering the San Matías Gulf to the north, has earned international recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since its inscription in 1999.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
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.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (x): With more than 1,500 specimens visiting the area annually Peninsula Valdes contains the globally most important breeding grounds of the Southern Right Whale, a species that had severely suffered from commercial whaling. The conservation efforts in Peninsula Valdes have been playing and continue to play an important role in the ongoing recovery of this whale species, an encouraging success story in global conservation. The property is also noteworthy for several other marine mammals, in particular major breeding populations of Southern Sea Lion and Southern Elephant Seal. As for the latter species, Peninsula Valdes harbors the northernmost colonies, and the only breeding population of this species in continental Argentina. The small local population of Orca has developed a spectacular hunting method by intentionally stranding on the shores to catch offspring of Southern Sea Lion and Southern Elephant Seals. Both the coastal areas, a diverse mosaic of wetlands, mudflats, dunes and cliffs, and the land area, a distinct and relatively intact part of the Patagonian Desert Steppe, harbour diverse flora and fauna of high conservation value.
Encyclopedia Record: Valdés Peninsula
The Valdes Peninsula is a peninsula into the Atlantic Ocean in the Viedma Department of northeast Chubut Province, Argentina. It is bordered by San Matías Gulf to the north. It is an important nature reserve which was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.Additional Site Details
Area: 360,000 hectares
Number of Components: 1
Coordinates: -42.5 , -64
IUCN World Heritage Outlook
The 2025 Conservation Outlook on Península Valdés reports the following assessment:
Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) · View assessment
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Unknown, Public domain
