Scientists worried by spate of Península Valdés whale deaths
Astring of whale deaths in recent days in Patagonia have worried scientists, who think a microalgae could be to blame.
From September 24 to October 2, at least 13 southern right whales have been found beached after dying in the waters of the Golfo Nuevo section of Península Valdés in Patagonia, an area that is a sanctuary and breedingground for the mammals, the Whale Conservation Institute (ICB) said.
“At least 12 adults and one sub-adult whale have been detected dead in the last few days in the waters of Golfo Nuevo,” said the ICB in a statement.
Authorities have started performing autopsies on the whales that have been recovered and have begun testing the water and mollusks “to determine the presence of possible biotoxins linked to the proliferation of harmful algal blooms known as red tides,” said whale programme coordinator Agustina Donini in an ICB statement released Monday.
None of the whales observed so far have displayed any signs of injuries or trauma, and all were well-fed.
Algal blooms produce natural toxins that can be harmful to other organisms living in the water.
Their pigment can make the surface of the water look red, giving the phenomenon the name “red tide.”
Fabián Gandón, mayor of the nearby town of Puerto Piramides, told reporters there had been “an unusual increase in... red tides.”
Despite the deaths, authorities have recorded more than 1,400 whales in the Nuevo and San Jose gulfs, the largest number in more than 50 years.