Why Are Hundreds of Penguins Washing Up Dead on Brazil's Shores? 3 Leading Theories

UPDATE: IBMA regional chief Ingrid Maria Furlan Oberg said the population of dead penguins is still within the normal range for this time of the year, The Epoch Times reported. "We believe that this happened because of the cold front, which brought them all at once," Oberg said.

(June 21) -- Beginning about 10 days ago, penguins have been washing up dead or clinging to life on the Brazilian shores of Peruibe, Praia Grande and Itanhaem beaches in Sao Paulo state, The Associated Press reports.

So far, about 500 of the birds have met this fate. The majority of them are Magellan penguins that migrate north to Brazil from Argentina, Chile and the Falkland Islands. In a typical year, about 100 to 150 penguins arrive on the beaches alive after the long northward trek, with only 10 or so washing up dead, Thiago do Nascimento, a biologist at the Peruibe Aquarium, told the AP.

What's made this year different? No one really knows yet. Below, the top three hypotheses advanced for what's causing the strange and unsettling die-off.

1. Climate change
Some scientists believe that colder temperatures and bigger ocean waves are causing penguins to put more energy into swimming and reaching their destinations, to fatal effect. Other scientists believe melting ice in Antarctica has strengthened the northbound Malvinas ocean current this year, making young and inexperienced penguins vulnerable.

2. Human disruption
Necropsies have shown the birds dying with empty stomachs, which has led experts to believe one cause of death to be starvation, and to pin the blame for that on overfishing. In this theory, the increased competition for their food makes it difficult for penguins to catch enough to survive. "The penguins are dealing with fishing nets ... and all kinds of problems," Lauro Barcellos, director of an oceanography museum in southern Brazil, told The Seattle Times.

3. Uruguay oil spill
A 2008 spill near the port of Montevideo may have depleted fish populations to the point where the penguins had no other choice but to swim even farther north than normal for a more abundant food source in warmer water. But covering longer distances risks throwing off the birds' migratory cycle.

Read more at The Seattle Times.

RELATED
Squirrels Are Getting Fatter Now, Too (Thanks to Global Warming!)

Hot on HuffPost:

Why Are Hundreds of Penguins Washing Up Dead on Brazil's Shores? 3 Leading Theories [UPDATE]

Hot Leads

ON FACEBOOK

News From Our Partners

Also on AOL >>>

Depp's Dames

Alicia's Evolution

Lip-Sync Fun

They Hooked You