A seven-metre sei whale has died after stranding on a sandbank in the Río de la Plata river in Argentina, despite a large-scale rescue operation off the coast of San Fernando, a suburb north of Buenos Aires. The Temaikén Foundation, a conservation group involved in the response, said the animal did not survive despite all efforts.
The whale (Balaenoptera borealis) was first sighted on Friday, 24 July 2026, when rescue teams began attempting to free it. The situation was described as critical from the outset, with Temaikén noting that the whale was bearing its full weight on its belly, impairing organ function. The foundation said the animal had likely become disoriented due to a combination of environmental factors or an underlying health problem.