Not really any more information on this story Peru mass strandings currently around 600 animals. but it's an interesting interview with CNN showing the current situation.

I can't get the video to embed as it's CNNs own format but here is the link: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/22/world/americas/peru-dead-dolphins/

I've just downloaded my copy from Amazon, looks very intersesting.

 

The Sounding of the Whale is a remarkable book, an astounding piece of research that presents subtle, original arguments in a stylish and readable (if sometimes mannered) prose. Burnett's subject is the development of whale science in the 20th century, which takes in the work of zoologists, paleontologists, biological oceanographers, ecologists, neurologists and mathematicians, among others. The individual scientists are brought to life and their work is beautifully contextualised. Burnett shows us the many ties that bound whale scientists, disastrously, to the whaling industry. He also does a wonderful job of placing the science of cetology in its institutional settings, both academic and political

 

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/apr/12/david-blackbourn-graham-burnett-whales?newsfeed=true

 

There are some very confusing and contradictory stories coming through about the mass strandings going on in Peru. I have done some digging and this seems to be the best source for information https://lists.uvic.ca/pipermail/marmam/2012-April/004248.html

I’ve highlighted some of the main points below:

Numbers are always uncertain in these cases but it sounds like several hundred animals have washed up in the last month, with still more coming in. The strandings have taken place on the southern border of Illescas National Park, in Piura state.

There are 2 species involved, Long beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis) and Burmeister’s porpoise(Phocoena spinipinnis).  Unoffical figures put strandings numbers as high at 3000 animals (these figures may be taking a larger area and/or time frame in to account), although these more offical figures show less with dolphins have taken by far the largest hit of around 600 dead animals, with numbers of porpoises being much lower at around 20 animals. They are all in various decomposition states but they all seem to have washed up with in the last 5 weeks.

The necropsies performed on site show two main causes of death (although they are waiting for further results, so this isn’t conclusive yet), most of the results seem to be leading towards a potential epidemic outbreak of morbillivirus brucella (which has been linked to many mass stranding events, including in Europe in the 90s) with some animals showing signs of acoustic impact and decompression syndrome.

In related but other news, the Cape Cod strandings Cape Cod strandings finally easing seems to still be dwindling on (even though the end of the mass stranding has been announced), but sadly still no results.

So far no patterns have emerged, but the many lab analyses will take months to complete, we may yet find one.

 

 

 

Source: http://www.ifaw.org/us/news/stranding-update-no-patterns-depleting-resources-yet-teamwork-still-prevails