According to the Directorate of Wild Fauna and Flora of the province of Chubut, 10 were found dead. Whales Francs near Puerto Pirámides.
Just a week ago, seven had already been found. specimensand currently the account increased to ten Whales found near Puerto Pirámides.
The team from the Conservation Institute of Whales (ICB) works in the necropsy of the Whales southern franks. As reported by the institute: “none of the Whales evaluated so far presented evidence of traumatic injuries or entanglements, and all were found to be in very good nutritional status”.
The director of the ICB declared: “During 2021, of the total of 45 Whales dead franks off the coast of Península Valdés, we recorded 7 juveniles and 13 adults. In context, while the number of dead adult whales this season is still lower than last season, it is concerning that the deaths have been recorded in such a short period of time.”
The most solid hypothesis continues to be the ingestion of toxins produced by the red tide. Germán Marino, a chemical engineer and member of the Environmental Health team, spoke about the issue, saying that “We are in the presence of an event that, although it happens almost every year, this time has a very unusual intensity”.
What is red tide?
It is a natural phenomenon where phytoplanktonic organisms grow disproportionately, which are food for the Whales. This growth is known as blooming, it causes great changes in the color of the water due to the fact that it has pigments with which it captures the sunlight.
These pigments can be red or combinations of colors with green, brown or yellow, hence their name.
These algal organisms produce toxins that bivalve molluscs are unable to purify to such a disproportionate extent.are ingested by the whales and they die intoxicated.
