A blue whale has been recorded off the coast of Chubut for the first time, within the boundaries of the Parque Provincial Patagonia Azul, a sighting local environmental authorities have described as a landmark moment for biodiversity in the region.
While blue whales have previously been documented in Argentine waters, there had been no confirmed records inside the Park’s limits.
The spotting occurred during a technical monitoring expedition led by conservationists from the Rewilding Argentina NGO. The team was conducting photo-identification work on humpback and sei whales when an unfamiliar silhouette broke the surface, the team said.
“There had been no previous records of the species within the Park’s boundaries,” officials said, adding that the whale’s presence reinforces the ecological value of this stretch of the coast.
Biologist Tomás Tamagno said the team immediately realised they were looking at something unusual. “We came across this whale surfacing, but this one was different – it was gigantic, far larger than any we had ever seen,” he said.
They approached cautiously to confirm the identification: “We moved a little closer, carefully, to see what it was and found ourselves face to face with a blue whale. Fortunately, we were able to get reasonably close and take some good photographs.”
The animal was travelling quickly towards open waters and soon disappeared into the swell.
Blue whales – the largest animals on Earth – are classified as endangered. They migrate across vast ocean distances and face persistent threats, including collisions with large vessels. Ensuring protected corridors and feeding grounds is considered key to their survival.
While blue whales are known to migrate through the South Atlantic, coastal sightings in Chubut remain exceptional. The scientific value of the sighting is considerable. Until now, there had been no confirmed records of blue whales in the Cabo Dos Bahías sector.
According to Patagonia Azul authorities, the individual spotted is likely an Antarctic blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia), a subspecies that can reach 30 metres in length and weigh between 75 and 140 tonnes.
Commercial whaling in the 20th century reduced Southern Hemisphere populations to around two percent of their original size. Although numbers are slowly recovering, the species remains endangered.
The blue whale is not only the largest animal alive today but the largest known to have existed in Earth’s history.
– TIMES/NA
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