(WATCH)Whale deaths mystery – Second carcass found north of Buenos Aires in same week, scientists baffled

A second whale was found dead on the shores of the Río de la Plata, off the North Coast of Buenos Aires, on Wednesday. The specimen is a young Sei whale, an endangered species, and the discovery comes less than a week after another cetacean appeared dead on the shores of nearby Vicente Sanchez.

The six-metre whale showed signs of decomposition when it was found. Civil Defense personnel conducted initial examinations of the animal’s body and then removed it.

Laura Prosdocimi, a biologist at the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences, explained that it was between two and three years old, and likely shares common characteristics with the cetacean found on the shores of Vicente Lopez.

“It was also a similar size, so we estimate they were two juveniles traveling together. But we currently don’t know the cause of death or why they came so close to the coast,” she explained.

According to specialists, it’s unusual for this species to be seen in the Rio de la Plata. Sei whales migrate at this time of year from the cold waters of the Falkland Islands to their breeding grounds in Brazil. However, something disrupted this natural route.

The sei whale is a species that was intensively hunted for centuries for its meat and blubber, used in oil production. It is currently legally protected, but remains endangered, so its appearance on Argentine coasts is a cause for concern.