The Latest Breaking News from Patagonia

The hidden costs of fracking: boom in Argentina linked to trail of sickness

Families in Vaca Muerta, the centre of Patagonia’s shale operation, report cancers, miscarriages and pollution

The Guardian - UK · Oct 15

Bacteria suspected in deaths of hundreds of whale calves off Argentina

A bacterial infection is suspected of causing the deaths of hundreds of southern right whale calves in Argentina’s Patagonia region, where dozens of dead young whales washed ashore again this week, continuing a trend that began in June. Researchers are investigating a possible outbreak of erysipelas, a serious bacterial disease…

The Times of India · Sep 28

What is killing whale calves in Patagonia? bacteria under suspicion

Dozens of southern right whale calves have been found dead on Argentina's Patagonian coast. Scientists are probing a possible bacterial infection after an unusually deadly season.

Euronews · Sep 25

‘Panda of the insect world’: the moscardón bumblebee creates buzz for invertebrate of the year

Bombus dahlbomii, a giant ginger bumblebee fondly known as the flying mouse, is in decline in its native Patagonia due to commercial farming

The Guardian - UK · Aug 9

Debate around biofuel? In 2008, scientists found a tiny fungus that could make something surprisingly close to diesel

Fungus that makes diesel: Scientists discovered a fungus in Patagonia producing diesel-like chemicals. This organism, Gliocladium roseum, creates long-chain hydrocarbons similar to fuel. The fungus can consume plant waste like cellulose to produce these substances. Researchers found this discovery promising for renewable energy sources.

The Economic Times · Jul 29

A former The North Face founder's historic land donation turned Patagonia's wilderness into one of the world's largest national parks

In 1991, American businessman Douglas Tompkins, who had co-founded the outdoor clothing companies The North Face and Esprit, bought a semi-abandoned plot of land in the Renihue River Valley in southern Chile, drawn by the region's ancient, untouched temperate rainforest. What began as a personal effort to protect one threatened…

The Times of India · Jul 29

In 1996, a hidden dinosaur in Patagonia became the Southern Hemisphere's first known raptor that roamed 90 million years ago: Fossil discovery explains how raptors spread across ancient Earth

In 1996, a hidden dinosaur in Patagonia became the Southern Hemisphere's first known raptor that roamed 90 million years ago after researchers confirmed fossils of Neuquenraptor argentinus from Argentina. The discovery showed that raptors lived in Gondwana, not only in the Northern Hemisphere. Scientists said the fossil also supports the…

The Economic Times · Jul 27

More than mountains: the human story of Chilean Patagonia told through these award-winning photos

These commended images reveal how Patagonia's awe-inspiring scenery is just one chapter in the region's story, which is also told through the local communities and their traditional ways of life

Digital Camera World · Jul 21

How Orca Pods Pass Down Hunting Techniques Across Generations as Cultural Tradition

Every Pod Has Its Own PlaybookOff the coast of Patagonia, a group of orcas deliberately beach themselves on gravel shores to snatch sea lions, a technique so dangerous that calves spend years watching before attempting it, and one no other orca population performs the same way. In the waters off…

Times Life · Jul 15

"The magic happened… all it took was the right click" –Andean condors reign supreme in Patagonia Photo Contest

This year’s Patagonia Photo Contest winners included two fantastic shots of condors, a bird of prey considered a national symbol across the Andes

Digital Camera World · Jul 11