Overview
- Tourists and crew on a sightseeing boat in the Golfo San Jorge recorded a blue whale at very short range, with multiple passenger videos circulating online.
- Proyecto Cetáceos GSJ said this is the first time the species has been recorded from a boat off Comodoro Rivadavia, a claim cited by local media.
- The recordings, which were shared on social media and picked up by local outlets Tuesday, include a widely circulated clip by passenger Analía San Leandro that shows the whale within a few meters of the vessel.
- The governor of Chubut posted a separate video from Puerto Madryn that raised public attention, but the footage so far is audiovisual and lacks formal scientific verification or published identification by specialists.
- Blue whales are the largest animals on Earth and rarely enter near‑shore waters in this region, so authorities and researchers say the sighting could boost ecotourism while highlighting the need for safe‑approach rules and systematic monitoring.