Newsroom
A massive deep-sea whale washed ashore on Cyprus’ northern coast this week, puzzling wildlife experts and reviving memories of a rare mass stranding just a few years ago.
The male beaked whale measuring about five meters (16 feet) long and weighing roughly 1.5 tons was found dead Tuesday afternoon along a rocky stretch of coastline near Akanthou, according to Turkish Cypriot media reports. The animal was spotted lodged among rocks in an area difficult to access, prompting a recovery operation by teams from a wildlife care center based in nearby Vounos.
Kemal Basat, the center’s director, said the discovery comes close to the anniversary of a similar incident three years ago, when 13 beaked whales washed ashore in the region, a rare and alarming event that drew international attention from marine scientists.
Crews are still working to remove the carcass from the rugged shoreline. Once transported to the center’s facilities, specialists plan to conduct a necropsy to determine what caused the whale’s death.
Beaked whales are elusive, deep-diving mammals rarely seen near shore, making strandings unusual and scientifically significant. Researchers often study such cases for clues about threats ranging from illness and underwater noise to environmental changes in the Mediterranean.
