Dolphins dead in Uruguay

2026 July 22 (July 17 to date). Uruguay. Cluster stranding of 12 Fraser's dolphins. Working Group on Marine Fauna Strandings (GTV) has verified 12 registered strandings of Fraser's dolphins. These occurred in the towns of San Luis (2, with one returned to sea), Colonia del Sacramento (2), Punta del Este (2), Playa Verde (1), Barra del Chuy (3), Oceanía del Polonio (1) and Cabo Polonio (1). Preliminary results from autopsies performed on 3 of the dolphins indicate a possible link to Cetacean Morbillivirus– a highly contagious virus among whales and dolphins that can cause immunosuppression, pneumonia, and encephalitis. However, this is still a preliminary diagnosis and requires further confirmation.

Mass stranding in Puerto Rico

2026, July 31. Puerto Rico, Humacao, Punta Santiago Beach. A mass stranding of 3 Black Dolphins (Pilot Whales) from a pod of 6. After hours of careful rescue work, Emergency crews from Puerto Rico's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) refloated the cetaceans. All six were successfully returned to the ocean and were later confirmed to be several miles offshore, safe and swimming together. At first, the whales struggled to regain their strength, moving slowly as they made their way back into deeper water. Rescuers closely monitored the pod until the animals were able to swim away on their own.

Puerto Rico News

Second stranding on island: 2026, August 1. Puerto Rico, Puerto Angelino, Playa Combate, Cabo Rojo. A Blainville's Beaked/humpback whale calf (Mesoplodon densirostris), was rescued. This is the second whale stranding recorded on the island in the last two days. Members of the Boquerón Maritime Unit's Vigilance Corps, along with the Fisheries Laboratory of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DRNA), and agency personnel, participated in the operation. The transfer required the mobilization of a Federal Customs vessel, with the purpose of taking the calf to deep waters south of Cabo Rojo.