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In the past week, nearly 200 dead Magellanic penguins have washed up on the southern beaches of Brazil. The penguins, whose bodies were slicked with oil, were victims of an unidentified spill in nearby waters. Authorities suspect the location of the spill was south of Santa Catarina, a state in Southern Brazil, but have been unable to find the ship that caused it due to high boat traffic in the area.

Any surviving penguins were rushed to a wildlife care center in Florianapolis, San Catarina's state capital. The facility, normally quiet this time of year, has been busy painstakingly cleaning 30-40 penguins a day. The team, made up of marine biologists and veterinarians, hope to save 80% of the intoxicated birds.

Oil spills are deadly to penguins and other seabirds. The thick oil mats down their otherwise light feathers, making it difficult to stay warm and dry. In most cases, the weighed down birds will die of exhaustion or cold.