Elephant seal births reported on Buenos Aires province coast

Three elephant seal births have been recorded in less than a month along the coast of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Following a birth in Mar del Plata in mid-October, two additional pups were confirmed in the Villa Gesell district near Faro Querandí.

The Mar del Plata pup, known locally as Alfredito or Saturnino, has begun entering the sea while remaining in the nursing stage. In Villa Gesell, the two new pups are staying with their mothers approximately 15 kilometers apart under the supervision of park rangers and local health officials.

Marine biologist Carolina De León noted that these births in the southeastern Buenos Aires region have been observed since 2024. While it is premature to draw definitive conclusions, experts suggest these occurrences might be related to the avian influenza epidemic that heavily impacted marine mammals in 2023, causing significant losses in previous seasons.