Patagonia Birds & Wildlife with Canadian Geographic
Departing October 27, 2025
On this tour, you will explore Patagonia, a land of incredible landscapes filled with abundant marine and terrestrial wildlife. Southern Chile and Argentina offer exceptional close-up viewing of birds and mammals, where one can find King, Gentoo and Magellanic penguins—as many species of penguins as an average Antarctic journey! Even leopard seals are a possibility!
In the mountains and on the pampas, you will find accessible puma (mountain lion) viewing below the spires of Torres del Paine National Park. You will observe and photograph guanacos, rheas, and condors roaming free in their natural settings, and with some patience and luck, see pumas up close. A great assortment of breeding birds will be on display, including Austral Parakeet, Chilean Flamingo, Chocolate-vented Tyrant, Flightless Steamer-Duck and perhaps the endangered Magellanic Plover.
In Argentina we’ll enjoy the food and wine culture, while in Chile the quaint atmosphere and friendly locals will further enrich our experience. Chilean wine isn’t so bad either, paired with the finest of seafood.
This tour starts in Ushuaia and ending in El Calafate. Finishing in El Calafate allows us to include the world-famous Perito Moreno Glacier. You also get the pleasure of travelling with an ambassador from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
ITINERARY
Day 1-3: Arrival in Ushuaia, Argentina
Days 4: Traversing Tierra del Fuego
Day 5: Pali Aike National Park
Day 6-8: Torres del Paine
Day 9-10: El Calafate
Day 11: Departure, El Calafate
Meet your RCGS Ambassador
David Gray
With more than three decades of experience as a journalist, former CBC Radio host David Gray has filed stories from around the world, focusing on Europe and North America. Based in Calgary, David is an avid adventurer, diver, skier, and cyclist.
Whether it’s skiing from the heights of the Chic-Choc Mountains down to the shores of Gaspe, kayaking Johnstone Strait with the orcas of Robson Bight, or hiking the ridges of the Bugaboos above the glaciers of the Purcells, David has a deep passion for Canada’s wild spaces. He is an amateur ornithologist and former park naturalist, with a growing passion for photography. He has also launched a new Canada-wide podcast, GraydioCanada.
His documentary work has won numerous national and international awards and he is a frequent guest host on well known CBC radio programs such as “As it Happens”, “Sunday Edition” and “Cross Country Checkup”. His daily morning program “The Calgary Eyeopener” was one of Canada’s top-rated local radio shows for over a decade.
In his spare time, he performs with Calgary band Sweet Potato. David and his wife Kim have two children.