After a massive oil spill off the coast of Montevideo, Uruguay, many penguins were rescued by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and treated.Yesterday, some of these penguins were released back to their home in Maldonado, Uruguay after being treated by veterinarians.According to Market Watch, The original spill was caused when two oil-tankers collided, causing 14,000 cubic meters of fuel oil to be poured into the ocean.This oil drifted towards Buenos Aires, endangering a large amount of South American wildlife.Seabirds are very vulnerable to oil—it destroyed their protective oils and causes them to have hypothermia when cold water penetrates their coats.Two Argentina organizations have been assisting IFAW: FMM (Fundación Mundo Marino) and FPN (Fundación Patagonia Natural).

Read the rest of this entry »

Magellenic penguins, the kind that live in southern Argentina and on the Malvinas Islands, are declining in number due to climate change and over-fishing.According to the New York Times, this trend has been observed by scientists over the last 30 years.Breeding pairs are down 22 percent and the birds must swim 40 extra miles a day to find their sources of food.The scientists are blaming over-fishing as well as global warming for these problems and argue that the deteriorating condition of penguins is a sign of trouble for the whole marine ecosystem.These penguins are popular with tourists in Southern Argentina, as are the whales that swim up the coast past the Valdez Peninsula.Protecting them is important but difficult, and affirming their importance through tourism is one of the many ways Argentines and foreigners cope with the problem.

Read the rest of this entry »