Marcelo Duarte of the Santa Catarina State environmental police told reporters that the oil that poisoned the birds probably leaked from a large ship.
He said that it would be nearly impossible to find the ship responsible due to the high volume of maritime traffic off the coast.
Florianopolis’ wild animal care center said it had become overwhelmed by attempts to treat the 155 live penguins brought in for “oil intoxication.”
Thousands of the birds have been found both dead and alive along the shores of Brazil, including as far north as Rio Grande do Norte state, near the equator.
Scientists say overfishing in the penguins' normal feeding areas, and unusually cold currents flowing from the south, may be bringing the birds so far north of their usual habitats.
