Hundreds of southern right whale calves have died in recent months in Argentine Patagonia, in an episode that has put scientists and authorities on alert. Initial investigations point to a bacterial infection as a possible cause of an exceptionally high mortality rate this season.
Just this week, dozens of dead whale calves have appeared on beaches in the province of Chubut, in southern Argentina. Cases have been recorded since June, affecting one of this species' main breeding grounds in the South Atlantic.
