While in the last few weeks, attention has been focused on the wonders of the seabed, thanks to the scientific project of the CONICET, the situation of the Argentine sea also has a “B side”. It turns out that, so far this year, more than 200 animals have stranded on the Atlantic Coast.
During the first week of February alone, seven leatherback turtles were found dead among the beaches of Buenos Aires. This is the world’s largest species of sea turtle and considered endangered.
## Stranded animals on the coast: alarming numbers
The specimens appeared within a few days of each other and showed similar conditions: after biopsies were performed, the rescue team from the Mundo Marino Foundation detected plastic residues in most of the organisms.
But the case of the leatherback turtles was a precursor of what was to come. In the last six months, the Mundo Marino Foundation assisted 222 marine and coastal animals, most of them direct or indirect victims of human activities.
Among them, penguins, sea lions, and turtles were recorded with wounds from sharp objects, ingestion of waste, entanglement in nets, malnutrition, and even injuries caused by dogs.
“The findings included soda caps, water bottles, and even cigarette butts,” said Sergio Rodríguez Heredia, biologist and head of the rescue center at the Foundation, to the newspaper *La Nación*. One of the turtles also had tangled ropes and marks on its fins, signs of being trapped.
The specialist warned about the lack of awareness regarding what happens in the depths of the ocean. “On land, we see fires or pollution. In the sea, very serious things happen: garbage, sounds, oil spills,” he indicated.
“How do we realize? Faced with the discovery of these creatures that are telling us something. An oil-soaked penguin shows us what happens out of our sight,” he added.
## Marine mammals, turtles, and birds in rehabilitation
According to the semi-annual report of the Mundo Marino Foundation:
– 45% of the assisted animals were marine mammals (101 specimens). Many had deep cuts and wounds caused by sharp objects. A juvenile sea lion, for example, entered with a 10-centimeter cut on its neck and recovered after two months of intensive treatment.
– 45 marine turtles were found during the period. Most were already dead; only six could be rehabilitated. Several specimens showed entanglements, plastic ingestion, or interaction with fishing hooks. One of them arrived with a bag stuck in its beak and could be saved.
– 76 marine birds, mainly juvenile penguins. Many were malnourished, dehydrated, and hypothermic. An oil-soaked penguin was also reported in Pinamar.
Despite the seriousness of the cases, the foundation also provides data on happy endings. Among them, the story of a king penguin, a rare species on the Buenos Aires coast, that returned to the sea after a long rehabilitation.
In May, they released 11 Magellanic penguins back into their habitat in front of the eyes of 60 primary school students from the region who witnessed the release.
