Eastern Uruguay’s coast has become the site of a tragic and puzzling phenomenon as approximately 2,000 Magellanic penguins were discovered dead in the last 10 days. Authorities are grappling with the mystery behind this devastating die-off, which is not linked to avian influenza, according to reports.
The deceased penguins, primarily juveniles, were found on the Atlantic Ocean’s shores after being carried by ocean currents, as revealed by Carmen Leizagoyen, the head of the Environment Ministry’s department of fauna. Disturbingly, around 90 percent of the casualties lacked fat reserves and displayed empty stomachs, indicating severe challenges they faced while at sea.
Leizagoyen emphasised that all samples collected from the deceased penguins have tested negative for avian influenza, dispelling concerns of a viral outbreak. However, the exact cause of this mortality remains shrouded in uncertainty.
The Magellanic penguins are native to southern Argentina, and during the southern hemisphere’s winter season, they migrate northwards in search of food and warmer waters, sometimes reaching the coast of Brazil’s Espirito Santo state. Mortality during migration is not unusual, but the scale of this recent die-off has raised alarm among experts.
Similar incidents were reported last year in Brazil, adding to the complexity of this current situation. Environmental advocates, including Richard Tesore from the NGO SOS Marine Wildlife Rescue, have drawn connections between the rising death toll and overfishing and illegal fishing practices.
“The lack of food among animals has been evident since the 1990s and 2000s, and it is clear that the resource is being overexploited,” Tesore stated, underscoring the potential human impact on the fragile marine ecosystem.
In mid-July, southeastern Brazil experienced a subtropical cyclone, and experts suspect that the inclement weather may have caused the weakest penguins to succumb to the harsh conditions during their migratory journey.
The extent of the ecological impact has been more profound than just the penguins. Hector Caymaris, director of the Laguna de Rocha protected area, reported discovering more than 500 dead penguins across the stretch of the Atlantic coast. Additionally, dead petrels, albatrosses, seagulls, sea turtles, and sea lions have been found on the beaches of Maldonado, a department located east of the capital, Montevideo.
