Blue whales were not detected near the Galápagos, and scientists suggest El Niño may explain their absence.

What it means

Blue whales have not been detected in the waters around the Galápagos Islands, and scientists point to the ongoing El Niño event as the likely cause. El Niño warms the eastern Pacific, reducing nutrient-rich upwelling and collapsing the plankton and small-fish food web that blue whales depend on, forcing them to shift their range or skip the area entirely.

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

The claim comes from a Live Science article that synthesizes scientific observations, likely from a research cruise or monitoring program. The underlying mechanism—El Niño disrupting marine food webs—is a well-documented phenomenon, but the specific observational data (e.g., survey effort, detection methods) are not detailed in the headline. Secondary reporting from a reputable outlet makes the general claim solid, though exact numbers or timing are not verifiable from this snippet alone.

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