Dead Baby Whales Wash Ashore on Argentina Coast as Experts Search for Causes

Researchers in Argentina are investigating a puzzling surge in dead baby whales washing up along the Patagonian coast, particularly around the Peninsula Valdes breeding ground in Chubut province. Marcela Uhart, a veterinarian heading the Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program from the University of California, Davis, noted this trend is clearly abnormal based on 23 years of tracking the same whale group.

The Investigation

Experts suspect the young whales are dying from bacterial infections entering their bodies through wounds made by kelp gulls. These seabirds have spent decades pecking at whales when they surface for air, eating their skin and blubber. While adult whales protect themselves by keeping their backs submerged and only showing their heads, young calves cannot manage this trick and stay exposed to attacks. Dead young whales have appeared in large numbers near the waterfront of Puerto Madryn, shocking locals and visitors. Local people claim to have seen hundreds of carcasses, though researchers prefer to wait until the current breeding season wraps up in late November before giving an exact total count.

Testing and Climate Factors

Specialists from various fields are tracking down the remains using boats, planes, drones, and land searches. They take pictures and quickly gather tissue and organ samples before the bodies rot, sending them north to a veterinary school in Tandil for analysis. Tests already show bacteria present in these tissues, but scientists are still growing the samples in labs to confirm if the germs caused the deaths and why they are so deadly right now. Shifts in ocean conditions, such as rising sea temperatures tied to climate change or El Nino, might be creating a harmful mix that lets these bacteria break down the natural defenses of baby whales. According to The Hindu - Science, the species once faced near-total destruction from commercial whaling in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries before getting global protection in 1935.

Context

Animal health monitoring programs track wild populations over long periods to spot sudden health crises and guide conservation efforts. Southern right whales now face ongoing dangers worldwide, including food shortages, fishing net traps, oil spills, and ship collisions.