Researchers monitoring the whale nursery at Península Valdés, in the Chubut province of Argentina, have counted an unusually high number of dead southern right whales, both calves and adults, since July, and expect this to be the worst season on record, MercoPress reports.
No official count will be released until the season ends, but unofficial estimates put the toll at more than 300. The previous highs since monitoring began in 2003 were 113 dead calves in 2012 and 28 adults in 2022.
Calf deaths have been linked to the bacterium Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, while toxic red tide algae are the main suspect in adult deaths. A Conicet scientist said there was no evidence of direct human cause, though ocean conditions may have played a part. About 1,375 whales were counted at the sanctuary this year, down from 2,110 in 2025.
Source: MercoPress
