Mystery as 26 killer whales wash up dead on beach with no signs of injury

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A team of marine biologists are investigating the mysterious mass stranding of orcas in Argentina, after 26 killer whales were found on the beach with no signs of injury or trauma.

Specialists at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) and the Southern Centre for Scientific Investigation (CADIC) were notified of two ecotype D orcas found in San Sebastián Bay, in the Tierra del Fuego province, in September.

Weeks after the initial discovery, park rangers spotted more stranded orcas in a difficult-to-access area further north of San Sebastián Bay.

“Once there, the team was able to verify that they were also ecotype D orcas,” CONICET and CADIC said in a statement. “The total number of stranded individuals now stands at 26.”

The whales showed no signs of injury or trauma, according to scientists (Courtesy of the IMMA Project)

When the orcas were examined, there were no signs of injuries from boats, nets or other human activity. Based on how decomposed they were, the specialists believe the largest group had stranded at the same time as the two found earlier.

Experts are continuing their investigations to establish what caused the stranding and learn more about these little-known orcas.

Type D orcas are easy to tell apart from other killer whales due to their distinctive features, including their small postocular spot (or eye patch), rounder heads, and a faint patch behind their dorsal fin. They live in subantarctic waters and are often seen in large groups.

Scientists are working to establish what caused the mass stranding (Courtesy of the IMMA Project)

Strandings of type D orcas are particularly rare. The recent incident is believed to be the third known stranding worldwide, with previous sightings recorded in 1955 in New Zealand, when 17 orcas stranded at Paraparaumu Beach, and in 2022 in the Strait of Magellan, in the southern tip of Chile, where nine killer whales of this type were found.

Scientists explained that type D orcas are only found in the Southern Hemisphere, specifically in the latitude range between 40 and 60 degrees south. There is very little land for them to beach on in that stretch of ocean, with the only major landmasses being New Zealand, Tasmania and the southern tip of South America.

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