More than 300 whales found beached in Patagonia – Le Figaro

The causes of this massive stranding phenomenon, which could be one of the largest ever recorded by scientists, will be explained shortly in the journal National Geographic , which funded the overview.

More than 300 whales were found dead in a remote fjord in Chilean Patagonia in the far south of the country, This could be one of the largest ever beaching of cetaceans found. “It was an apocalyptic vision. I had not seen anything like it, “said Vreni Häussermann, director of the scientific center Huinay, who participated in the expedition that found beached whales. The researchers set up the expedition after the discovery in April of twenty whales a protected species had been found dead in this region of Chile, with some 2000 kilometers south of the capital, Santiago. These early whales belong to the protected species “Sei”, formerly very popular fishing and which can measure up to 16 meters long and weigh 30 tons.

During a reconnaissance flight, conducted in June over the area by this team of scientists, they observed a much higher number of dead cetaceans. “We have counted 337 dead whales, including the corpses and skeletons,” said Vreni Häussermann. Besides flying, aerial photos and satellite have been used to reach that total. “There are still many areas that we have not been able to reach, so it is likely that there are more dead whales,” said Häussermann. The spot where the whales have been found is a very easily accessible fjord.

The causes of this massive stranding phenomenon, which could be one of the largest ever recorded by scientists, will be explained soon in the journal National Geographic , which funded the flyover. The scientists behind the discovery had stressed that no whales were wearing signs of injuries, favoring the track of excess algae or a virus. Furthermore, an investigation of the Chilean authorities after the discovery in April had ruled out any human intervention in the death of cetaceans.

This scientific discovery comes as stands currently in Paris the COP21, the World Climate Conference comes amid growing concern about the importance of the oceans in this issue.