This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A bacterial infection is suspected of killing hundreds of baby whales in the southern Argentine region of Patagonia, a marine mammal expert told on Thursday. Dozens more southern right whale calves washed up dead on beaches in southern Chubut province this week, continuing a disturbing trend that began in June.
"The death rate (among young whales) is quite high this season in particular," Mariano Coscarella, a researcher at the Marine Mammals Laboratory of the national research council Conicet, told AFP. Coscarella, who is based in Puerto Madryn, a major whale-watching destination on the Atlantic coast, said veterinarians suspected an outbreak of erysipelas, a serious disease caused by bacteria commonly found on the mammals' skin. "It seems to be a natural cause; however, we cannot completely rule out the influence of human activity," he said.
The Chubut provincial government said Wednesday it was working closely with the scientific community to solve the mystery of the whale deaths. It said preliminary research suggested a "common marine bacteria" was responsible. Puerto Madryn and the nearby Valdes Peninsula are a major breeding ground for southern right whales, which grow up to 17 meters (55 feet) in length and weigh an average of 40 tons (36,000 kilograms), roughly the equivalent of four elephants.
A record 2,110 whales were counted in the area in 2025, including 800 young. This year, authorities have counted 1,375 whales, including nearly 400 calves, Coscarella said. He added that the recent deaths "do not constitute a medium-term danger" for the area's whale population, given the average life span of the southern right whale, which local authorities put at 60 years.
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