After 15 years, the return of “Mochita,” an emblematic whale, to **Península Valdés** was confirmed. She was one of the first whales identified and studied by the Whale Conservation Institute.
*Mochita* is a **symbol of survival**, because despite the cut in her tail fin, she was able to navigate the waters of the South Atlantic and become a mother at a very young age.
She was one of the first individuals identified and monitored by Dr. **Mariano Sironi** during his doctoral studies in the late 90s.
“It is a great joy for our entire team and for the large ‘whale adopters’ family to **hear news of her return** and share this excitement with you,” they expressed from the institute.
## The return of Mochita: the story of the unique whale
**Mochita** was first identified in **1999**, the year she was born, during an aerial survey while swimming in the waters of the Golfo Nuevo, alongside her mother (whale number 1398 in the catalog of photo-identified southern right whales in Península Valdés).
The following year, they spotted the two in the Golfo San José, and a few weeks later, Mochita, already weaned, began her life as an independent juvenile. The name comes from Sironi noticing that the **right tip of her tail fin was missing**.
Although the cause could not be definitively determined, it could be due to an orca attack or an unfortunate encounter with a boat propeller.
For several months, he was able to monitor her from the nearby cliffs of the Golfo San José Research Station and study her as part of his doctoral thesis on the behavior and social development of juvenile whales.
Through aerial surveys and **photo identification**, in **2006**, they recorded her at 7 years old with her first calf, named “Medialuna” due to the noticeable white spot on its tail. She was then seen in **2009** with her second calf, and now in **2024**, she returns with a new calf to Península Valdés.
## How they spotted her
On **October 30**, researchers from the ICB, **Nicolás Lewin** and **Camila Muñoz Moreda**, were conducting photographic surveys for the project “Measuring Whales” in waters near Doradillo Beach in Puerto Madryn when they spotted a whale through a drone that caught their attention.
She was missing part of the right lobe of her tail fin, and her back had grayish pigmentation spots. Both were familiar with **Mochita’s story**, famous for these unique features and for being part of the Adoption Program.
“To spot her again in the area, accompanied by a new calf, is a symbol of hope and resilience,” they expressed from the organization. Despite her injury of unknown origin, **she was able to grow healthy and become a mother**, having at least three known calves.
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