It is not everyday that you find yourself face to face with a dead whale when you go for a Sunday stroll along the beach. But this is just what happened to us a few weeks ago on Playa Doradillo, a beach just north of Puerto Madryn.

The area here (around Península Valdés) is an important nursing ground for Southern Right Whales. During the winter and spring months the whales can be spotted easily from the shore, we have spent many hours on this very beach watching the spectacular breaching behaviour.

Our investigations (see Lisa below) showed that the whale, a baby whale, must have died the previous night as there were no signs of decay. Reason of death is unknown.

May the whale rest in peace (unfortunately it didn’t take long until some poor souls had filled the carcass with Graffiti).

 

Lisa inspecting a dead whale on Playa Doradillo, near Puerto Madryn, Chubut