Whale Watching in Patagonia
Join a dedicated whale-watching cruise or boat trip with specialist guides to protected fjords and bays in either Chile or Argentina to observe Patagonia's whale up close.
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Why go puma tracking?
- Have a close encounter with Patagonia’s apex predator, at home in one of the region’s most spectacular national parks
- Spend time with experienced naturalist guides, who ensure that all wildlife watching is carried out the most responsible way possible
- Watch pumas safely on foot, rather than from a safari vehicle, for a breathtaking wildlife experience
- Learn about innovative conservation projects that allow pumas to flourish while still maintaining Patagonia’s traditional ranching culture
- Explore the eastern Torres del Paine, a section of the park that hikers rarely get to se
Puma portrait
A guide scans the horizon for pumas
Female puma at rest
Guanacos, the puma's main prey
Puma cubs playing
Tourists on a puma tracking tour
Puma resting on a track
Pumas in Torres del Paine
Where to see pumas
Torres del Paine is home to the world's largest number of pumas, especially in the eastern sector of the park. This is largely due to the large supply of guanacos in the Patagonian steppe, and also the active protection from hunting that pumas have received here and in the surrounding areas over recent years.
Torres del Paine is the only place in Patagonia offering organised puma tracking trips. Sightings can never be guaranteed but it’s unusual not to see any puma. You should allow yourself at least three days to give yourself the best chance. Pumas are most often spotted at dawn and dusk, so be prepared for early mornings, with binoculars at the ready. Winter is one of the best times to see pumas.
A puma and her cubs in Torres del Paine
Responsible Puma Tracking
We only work with carefully selected responsible wildlife guiding partners in Torres del Paine.
Through these partners, we have access to private reserves where puma tracking is permitted on foot. In these areas puma tracking is done with extreme consideration. Our guides will never search for pumas in or around their dens, or get too close when they find them. They can read a puma's behaviour to ensure viewing is done in a safe and respectful manner.
Hiking is not permitted in the reserves where puma tracking takes place.
Puma tracking in Torres del Paine
Swoop says
Our guide had known every puma in the area for years, including their typical ranges and personality traits, and was eager to share his expertise and love of wildlife with us. We couldn't have been in better hands.
Danny Middleton Patagonia Specialist
Puma behaviour
A puma on the hunt
Although pumas are mostly solitary animals, Torres del Paine is the only place in the world where they have been observed hunting and feeding in pairs or even small groups. Males are territorial, but share their territory with at least one female. Although pumas are mostly nocturnal, those in Torres del Paine move around a lot during the day.
They mostly feed on guanacos, rheas, maras, small rodents and deer, and occasionally attack domestic livestock – which has frequently brought them into conflict with ranchers.
The puma is fully protected in Chile, but hunting is still permitted in Argentina. The size of a puma’s range (up to 75,000 acres) means that many of Torres del Paine’s pumas frequently cross the border into Argentina, putting themselves at risk.
Puma conservation
After many years of pumas being hunted in Torres del Paine by farmers trying to protect their livestock or make money from the skins, the hunting of pumas was banned in the park in 1972. Many ranchers now work with conservationists on schemes to protect pumas alongside their herds.
Since then, with no predators to speak of and an unlimited supply of guanacos, the puma population has been steadily growing. The Torres del Paine region is now believed to hold around 200 pumas.
It is our responsibility to ensure that puma tourism is well controlled and monitored, so that these cats can continue to thrive.
Puma playing by a road sign in Torres del Paine
Swoop says
Our puma trips are run by knowledgeable local guides teaming up with experienced trackers, many of whom have helped wildlife film makers from across the world document these incredible animals.
What our customers think of puma tracking in Torres del Paine
Puma Tracking in Torres del Paine trips scored 4.1/5 from 57 reviews
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