Whale Calf Mortality Investigation
Researchers investigate rising southern right whale calf deaths along Argentina's breeding coast.
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Researchers are investigating an unusually high number of southern right whale calves washing ashore around Argentina’s Valdes Peninsula, a major breeding ground. Their long-term monitoring confirms the deaths are unusual, but the cause has not been established. The leading hypothesis is that kelp gulls’ attacks leave wounds through which marine bacteria can enter; scientists have detected bacteria in some samples and are testing them to determine whether infection caused the deaths. Researchers are examining carcasses and collecting tissue samples, while withholding an official toll until the breeding season ends.
Key Points
1
Southern right whales were hunted close to extinction during the 19th and 20th centuries; they now gather in the peninsula’s sheltered waters to give birth and nurse their young.
2
Residents have reported seeing hundreds of carcasses near Puerto Madryn, including along the city’s central waterfront, although investigators have not released an official count.
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The search for dead calves has used boats, planes and drones, with researchers racing against decomposition to collect usable samples.
4
Samples are being tested at a veterinary school in Tandil; investigators are culturing the detected bacteria to identify the microorganism and assess whether infection directly caused the deaths.
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