A sweeping expanse of 360 000 hectares on the Atlantic Coast just off central Argentina, UNESCO-listed Peninsula Valdes is an arid and barren landscape connected to the mainland by the narrow isthmus of Carlos Ameghino. The terrain may be harsh, but its shores and protected ocean bays support a profusion of marine life, a key breeding site for the endangered southern right whale, as well as the southern elephant seal, southern sea lion and Magellan penguin. In addition to gulfs and rocky cliffs of up to 100 metres in height, there are shallow bays and shifting coastal lagoons with extensive mudflats, sandy and pebble beaches, and small islands.