Argentina: humpback whales returned to the Beagle Channel in search of food

The catalog was updated in several editions. Each of the registered specimens receives a name chosen by the person who provided the first photographic record. In this initiativeand integrate photographic and film records obtained by local citizens, boat captains, tour guides, photographers and tourists. who visit the area. Then the systematic surveys carried out by the researchers are added.

Solange Fermepin, Marine Coastal Conservation Manager at WCS Argentina, explained to Your friend what The humpback whale faces threats such as ship collisions, noise pollution and waste in the oceans, entanglements in fishing nets, illegal fishing and the impacts of climate change..

The expert explained that this photo-identification catalog has many implications. On the one hand, he said, provides key biological information about humpback whales in an area where their presence was not frequent. However, thanks to this project, there was a constant increase in the number of this species visiting the Beagle Channel.

The researcher added that humpback whales make extensive migrations between their feeding areas in cold southern waters and their breeding areas in tropical seas. In this context, he said that The Beagle Channel is consolidated as a fundamental place for their food during the summer.

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According to Dellabianca, the researchers observed that the behavior of these animals has a certain regularity in the calendar. “In the case of the humpback whale, which is the one we have been studying most regularly since 2013, we know that starting in February we normally have a permanent presence of the species. Although there may be sightings from November to August in some cases, from February to June we normally have a permanent presence of the species.”he explained.

For the scientific community of Ushuaia, capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost in the country, This boom represents an opportunity for study that they have been following for several years and hope to continue.

This return of humpback whales also brings challenges. With the increase of this species in maritime traffic areas, Authorities and scientists emphasize the importance of respecting sighting protocols: keep your distance, do not chase them and reduce navigation speed to avoid collisions.

“The increasing entry of whales into the Beagle leads to an increase in the interaction between these animals and vessels. Added to this is the increase in maritime traffic within the channel associated with tourism growth, especially due to trips to Antarctica. Although the channel is a natural corridor that connects the Pacific and the Atlantic, it is narrow and this intensifies the probability of encounters between boats and whales,” Dellabianca explained.