Dead dolphins and whale sighting highlight marine wildlife activity in Santa Catarina, Brazil

Four Fraser's dolphins were found dead and beached on the beach of Passo de Torres in southern Santa Catarina. Among them were three females, two of which were pregnant, and a male. Necropsy was hampered by advanced decomposition, preventing an immediate cause of death, and samples were taken for further analysis. The incident is being linked to recent strandings of the same species reported in Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo and Uruguay.

A few days later, videos posted on social media showed a pod of dolphins and a humpback whale swimming off Ponta do Vigia in Penha, also in Santa Catarina. The sightings attracted widespread online attention and underscored the region's rich marine biodiversity during its natural migration cycles.