Overview
- Rescuers found a sei whale stranded on a sandbank near San Fernando, north of Buenos Aires, after it was first seen on Friday and was reported to be about seven metres long.
- Teams worked for more than a day to keep the whale's skin wet and to time a refloat with rising tides in an effort to move it toward deeper water.
- Responders described the animal's state as critical because its full weight rested on its belly and that posture impaired organ function and mobility.
- Temaikén confirmed the whale died despite the prolonged rescue and said the most likely explanations are environmental disorientation or underlying health problems, though no definitive cause has been established.
- The incident underscores the hazards that tidal swings and sandbanks in the Río de la Plata pose to migrating baleen whales and shows the practical limits rescue teams face with very large animals.