Mass Stranding of 7 Whales Near Turkey... Questions Raised About Earthquake Impact

"An Unprecedented Event"... Whale Carcass Autopsy Conducted

Recently, the carcasses of seven whales were found consecutively on the island nation of Cyprus, located south of T?rkiye and west of Syria. It is suggested that the whales may have died en masse due to the aftermath of a strong earthquake.

According to foreign media including Reuters on the 11th (local time), four whales were found on the northern coast of Cyprus on the 9th, the fourth day after the strong earthquake struck T?rkiye and Syria. Among them, one whale was already dead, and the remaining three were rescued and released.

Subsequently, on the 10th, six whale carcasses were found on the same beach. It has not been confirmed whether the three whales rescued the previous day were included.

All the dead whales were Cuvier's beaked whales, one of the mammals capable of diving the deepest and longest.

Whale carcass washed ashore on the beach of Cyprus Island
Photo by Reuters

Whales occasionally appear in the seas near Cyprus, but they are not commonly seen. It is reported that this is the first time as many as seven Cuvier's beaked whales have been found.

An official from the Cyprus Fisheries and Marine Research Department said, "Whales have an echolocation system that uses sound waves to detect locations and terrain, so they are affected by noises occurring in the sea," adding, "They can be influenced by military exercises or earthquakes."

He continued, "We plan to conduct autopsies to determine the cause of death of the dead Cuvier's beaked whales," stating that a detailed investigation into the whales' deaths has begun.