NEWS
The very successful sixth season of the Tracking Whales Project ended
Photo: Matias Arenas
Main Tracking Maps
Latest update. Click on each whale to the right to see the individual trackline.
GOLFO NUEVO
GOLFO SAN MATÍAS
Update May 24, 2023
GOLFO NUEVO:
The 2023 breeding season in Peninsula Valdés has begun, while we continue, after eight months, to track two whales, Agata and Amazonita.
Agata, the only mother with calf being tracked, began her migration north this past week, after a stay of more than three months over the far south of the continental shelf, between the continent and the Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands). Agata is now at latitude 49°S, off Puerto San Julian, in the province of Santa Cruz. Amazonita, a solitary individual, continues close to, but slightly south of Agata, off Parque Nacional Monte León.
After being tracked for 250 days, with some lapses in transmissions during the last weeks, Zircon stopped transmitting his position on May 17. This solitary adult had been in the Scotia Sea since February, having traveled more than 20,800 kilometers (12,925 miles) during the time he was tracked.
GOLFO SAN MATÍAS:
No whales with active transmitters remain in this group.
Important information about satellite tracking
Animal welfare: New generation satellite tags used by the project may have minimal and short-term effects on the behavior and health of the animals. This research strives to use the safest technology to track whales.
Positions recorded: Positions have a margin of error of 200 to 2000 meters (which is the reason some tracks that are close to shore seem to be on dry land).
Duration: The devices stop sending data when they become detached, which can occur weeks or months after their deployment, or when their batteries run out, depending on various factors, but mainly on the type of tag used.