In Argentina, a pair of mass dolphin strandings have been attributed to orca pursuit, according to a conclusion reached by scientists after examining amateur video footage.
Researchers managed to solve the mystery behind two separate mass mortality events by utilizing videos sourced from social media, reports New Scientist.
The investigators scrutinized footage captured by tourist drones and cell phones, which documented the marine mammals’ behavior.
Magdalena Arias, representing Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), highlighted the significance of the evidence gathered. “This doesn’t imply that predators are invariably the catalyst for mass strandings, but it does suggest that such encounters can occasionally trigger these incidents,” she stated.
In 2021, a pod consisting of eight killer whales chased approximately 350 dolphins into the San Antonio bay. The targeted animals sought refuge in the shallow waters, which ultimately led to their demise. A comparable event transpired in 2023 involving a group of 570 individuals; however, in that instance, the dolphins were successfully rescued.
Necropsies revealed no evidence of disease or preexisting injuries among the deceased marine mammals. Furthermore, the animals’ stomachs were found to be empty, thereby ruling out the theory that the dolphins were stranding themselves while actively hunting prey.
As previously reported by VZGLYAD newspaper, the bodies of three young male sperm whales were recently discovered off the northern coast of Canada’s Prince Edward Island.
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