MASS WHALE STRANDINGS CAUSED BY METEOROIDS AND METEOR SHOWERS. The completed paper can be found below in the 2024 January 7th post titled Connection between Meteoroids and Mass Whale Strandings. “It is not known why they sometimes run aground on the seashore: for it is asserted that this happens rather frequently when the fancy takes them and without any apparent reason.” -Arisotle
2025, November 11. Florida, North Atlantic, 40km east of Port St. Lucie and 100km NW of Grand Bahama. Airburst. Time: 17:39:51. Coordinates: 27.3N;79.8W. Altitude: 42.0 km. Energy: 9.3e10, e = 0.28 or 280,000 kg/TNT.
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Three Minke whales stranded in the Hokkaido prefecture in 16 days. I'm awaiting data for other regions.
2025, October 20. Japan, Tokoro-cho, Kitami City, Hokkaido, Jounam Beach Beach. Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). Location: 44.127234N 144.045590E. Length: 5m Gender: Female.
2025, November 2. Japan, Hokkaido, Mokoto Abashiri City. Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). Location: 43.977015N 144.308199E. Length: 5m. Gender: Female.
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2025, November 9. Nauru, Micronesia, northeast of Australia, Menen on east side of island. A mass stranding of 6 pilot whales. All died and were buried by the authorities. There are reports that fish have also washed ashore.
Report from Nauru Media News - NTV: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14WjftcFF6S/
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I'm not too concerned about these events or linking them, just watching.
2025, October 31. USA, California, Fireball. Travelling SW. Time: around 22:59PDT.
2025, November 6. Mediterranean Sea, Ionian Sea. Fireball. Travelling SSW. Time: around 18:06 UT, or 19:15 LT. Only one report of concurrent sound, and it was fragmented. No strandings in the area as of post date 20251110.
2025, November 7. USA, California, Malibu. A species of Beaked whale stranded alive and was euthanized after failed attempts to refloat.
2025, November 9. USA, California, at Tajiguas west of Goleta. A deceased whale in a skeleton state of decomposition. It's very deteriorated down to bone and blubber. There was also a deceased whale in this spot in December 2021. This could be an old stranding.
Update 20251111. 2025, November 10. USA, California, Santa Monica. A dead whale washed ashore. Crews moved the roughly 20-foot carcass inland.
2025, November 7. Canada, British Columbia, near Lasqueti Island. A humpback whale has been found dead in the Salish Sea, the second confirmed humpback death in coastal B.C. waters in just over two weeks. The whale was identified through photographs as Polyphemus (BCZ0342), a 21-year old humpback known to migrate to Hawaii.
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2025, November 5. New Zealand, NE North Island. Fireball Breakup. A meteor dismantled on entering the atmosphere. Time: 13:34. Duration: 4:34 sec. Travelled NW and protruded into the atmosphere as low as 92km. The main object was sighted on camera moving over a distance of 237km.
2025, November 7. New Zealand, NE North Island, Coromandel Peninsula, north of Tairua, Sailors Grave Beach. A Gray's Beaked whale washed ashore.
Other beaked whale stranding this week include 2025, November 7. USA, California, Malibu. A species of Beaked whale stranded alive and was euthanised after failed attempts to refloat. Also, 2025, November 8. Japan, Okinawa. A dead dolphin or Beaked whale is floating between Yagaji and Ojima.
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Canada, Newfoundland, Clay Cove. Looks like a Sperm whale carcass floating near shore at 49°43'42.9"N, 56°41'21.8"W. Real-time satellite images could really change how we deal with whale strandings and prevention. Could you imagine AI tracking pods sending an alarm when one is close to shore?
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Looking back through my meteor data, this event really does seem like what it is — a meteor strike. But it’s not actually a rock, at least not in the usual sense. Sometimes these things dissolve before they even reach the ground, sometimes hundreds of meters up. What happens next is a mix of particles, gas, and heat that keeps moving forward at an incredible speed.
It’s kind of like a pillow slamming into a windscreen at 500 km/h — super directional and unbelievably forceful. This sort of thing happens more often than you’d think, and not every meteor creates a sonic boom. It all depends on things like speed, what it’s made of, and the atmosphere at the time. I call these “close-proximity impacts” because it’s not really the rock itself that hits — it’s a soup of energy and powdered debris that comes with it.
I’m really curious to see what the scientists find out about this one.
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2025, November 4. Chatham Islands (Rēkohu). Near Stranding. Two large groups of Black Dolphins (Pilot whales) surrounded by a smaller species of dolphin. Pilot whales were mustered out of the bay by a boat. The whales were head bobbing which is a sign of stress.
Also on the same island: 2025, November 3. Chatham Islands. A 50 ft female Cachalot (Sperm Whale) stranded and died on the other side of the island. It died in the early hours of the 4th.
Update 20251109: So far, no pods have been seen near the shore. Good sign.
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After analysing data, a Marine Animal Disturbance Alert should be noted for the Bass Strait region and accompanying coastlines. The meteor has produced delayed and concurrent sound (VLF Radio waves). In one report, it has shut down surveillance cameras. The range of these waves could be approximately 70km. There has been a significant uptick in meteor sightings in the lower eastern region of Australia in the last few days; how far this extends into the Tasman Sea is not known. There have been a couple of larger events seen on the west coast of New Zealand. Therefore, the risk to cetaceans moving on migration routes during this period is high.
I've had a few of these coastal sonic booms lately; one in Indonesia, the other in Malaysia and now this event. They are harder to analyse as a threat to cetaceans, however, they usually confirm wider base material coming in over a region, so it's better to be safe than sorry; therefore, be watchful for unusual cetacean behaviour.
News report by WINNEWS: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18y7c596dQ/
2025, November 2. Victoria. Large meteor, Thunderball. Time: 16:43.
Sonic boom heard over an area of 5,026.55 square kilometers (km²).
Seen over 400 km away to the NE in NSW.
Sonic boom heard at: Fernbank 16:45, Paynesville, Wiseleigh, Loch Sport, Bairnsdale (Tremor), Lakes Entrance, Orbost (to the west),
A significant tremor was picked up on seismic recording equipment in Buchan, 70km to the NE of the event.
Seen: Myrrhee, 180km NE, Warragul, Wattle Point and Wiweira, Melton (Melbourne), Jindabyne NSW after 4pm, Nowra (NSW), Sale, Armstrong Creek (Geelong),
Reports meteorites have fallen. A witness has stated her cameras froze at 16:43, the time of the event.
Witness Reports: “It resembled a lightning strike hitting our home, the building shook and windows rattled.” “The blast had brought him and his neighbours all out onto the street. The boom had lasted for several seconds. It rattled the roof tiles, it shook the house quite a bit, It was massive, I think people came out expecting to see a plane crash. The impact had definitely come from above and sent a wave of pressure downwards.
Reports of a fire were unrelated to the meteor event. Officials are looking for meteorites in the area.
Will update this page as Information comes in. For more information or if you want to report anything go to Australian Meteor Reports | Facebook.
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Infrasound at Kingston Tasmania, 570 km to the south. Could be consistent with sonic booms at separate heights in East Gippsland VIC (~460 km path) if these were heard around 1700 AEDT (faster arrival from lower altitude). Times in UT, location coordinates shown.
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2025, October 29. USA, Florida, Lake Worth Beach. A mass stranding of four pantropical spotted dolphins near the Lake Worth Pier. Two of the dolphins were already dead, but the two others were rescued.
Fireballs in the region:
2025, October 22. USA, Florida, North Atlantic. Fireball. There was a report of a sonic boom. Time: around 00:40 UT.
2025, October 27. USA, Florida, Central Overland. Travelling south. Large Fireball. Delayed and concurrent sounds were detected. The sound was observed on both coastal regions of the state. This event was widely observed by witnesses and captured on camera.
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Note: I removed the math from this to make it easier to read. I have placed the summary first, which covers the findings; however, read on if you want further information.
Summary: Whales at or breaking the sea surface face substantially increased risk from a meteor airburst compared with fully submerged animals. Surface exposure eliminates the large air–sea impedance loss for the portions of the animal in air, allowing the full airborne overpressure and impulsive loading to act on the blowhole, respiratory tract, and dorsal tissues. Open airways provide a direct coupling pathway for pressure impulses into pulmonary structures, and the impulsive loading of the middle/inner ear and soft tissues increases the likelihood of trauma or temporary/permanent auditory effects. Crucially, surface exposure also magnifies behavioral risk: a sudden, intense airblast can provoke a strong startle or panicked flight response while simultaneously producing surface jets or hydrodynamic forcing that physically displace animals into shallow water or drive them toward shore. Therefore, while large-scale hearing injury from airburst-coupled underwater signals remains uncommon except near energetic epicenters, the combination of direct airblast effects and behavioural consequences makes presence at the surface a significant risk factor for strandings.
If whales are at the surface when an airburst occurs, the risk goes up — sometimes substantially — because they can be exposed directly to the airborne blast (no −30 dB air→water penalty) and because the blast can act on the animal’s blowhole, lungs and sensory organs. Direct air exposure: A whale at or breaking the surface presents air-facing tissues (blowhole, rostrum, dorsal area) that receive the full airborne overpressure and impulse. There is no large impedance mismatch loss for those parts — the animal is effectively in the same medium as the source. Open airways: If the blowhole is open or the animal inhales/exhales at the time, the airway and lungs can be coupled to the airblast — increasing risk of barotrauma and blunt pressure effects. Combined loading modes: The animal may simultaneously receive (a) direct airblast loading of soft tissues and lungs, (b) an underwater pressure pulse on submerged portions, and (c) sudden surface motion (wave/jet) that can move animals onto reefs. Direct blast overpressure on tissues — can cause hemorrhage, tissue shear, trauma to lung and middle/inner ear if sufficiently large. Airway/lung coupling — an open blowhole or inhalation path lets the pressure impulse enter the respiratory tract, increasing internal pressure transients. Rapid vertical acceleration / surface jetting — an airburst over or near the water can launch surface waves, jets or water jets that physically displace animals or force them ashore. Startle / behavioral panic — an intense sudden air-noise and shock can trigger strong flight or grouping responses; boats, shallow bathymetry, or confusion can then cause stranding. Combined stressors — simultaneous geomagnetic, visual (bright flash), or social confusion increases probability of maladaptive behaviour. Blowhole & airway: Airblast through an open blowhole can transmit pressure into the lungs and lower airways; rapid positive/negative swings increase barotrauma risk. Middle/inner ear: Sudden pressure transients can damage hearing—even at lower levels—if the pressure waveform is steep and impulsive. Lung/air sac differences: Cetacean lungs and accessory air spaces are structurally different to terrestrial mammals; vulnerability to blast is not identical and is poorly quantified in the literature. Behavioral consequences: An intense airblast when the animal is at the surface is also the most likely context for a strong flight reaction (fast, disorganized movement) which can lead to stranding in shallow water. Hearing injury (TTS/PTS): still probably uncommon except very near a large airburst epicenter. However, surface exposure increases the chance relative to an entirely submerged animal because of direct pressure spikes to airways and ears. Acute barotrauma / lung injury: possible in high-overpressure scenarios (near epicenter; low altitude burst). The exact probability is unknown because cetacean-specific blast-injury thresholds are not well characterized. Behavioral/stranding risk: substantially higher when animals are at the surface because a strong startle + sudden surface motion + proximity to shore/shelf can combine to produce strandings.
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2025, October 22. Canada, Nova Scotia, Port Hood. 3 Pilot whales saved. The last mass stranding in the area was in 2023 when 11 pilot whales stranded on a rocky shore with 8 dying and 3 rescued.
Some historical strandings in the region this year include: 2025, August 4. Canada, Nova Scotia, Bay of Fundy, Canning Aboiteau mud flats. A mass stranding of 13 Atlantic white-sided dolphins that were caught on tidal egress and were rescued. An 180 km west on 2025, September 27. Canada, Prince Edward Island, Pituamkek National Park Reserve. A mass stranding of three large sperm whales that are stranded off western Prince Edward Island's North Shore.
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2025, October 15. New Zealand, North Island. Fireball. Time: 20:58NZDT. Seen in Auckland, Bay of Plenty Region, Taranaki Region, Wellington Region. Travelling SW over Tasman Sea.
2025, October 15. New Zealand, North Island, east over sea, Coromandel. Fireball. Time: 12:23NZDT. East Coast of the. Pacific Ocean.
2025, October 20. New Zealand, Northland, Paenga Rehia / Twilight Beach near Te Paki. A mass stranding of 27 pilot whales. They were discovered on Twilight Beach (Paenga Rehia), about 11km south of Cape Rēinga, that is part of the popular Te Paki Coastal Track.
Update and Images to follow.
20251023: Twenty-seven whales died and were buried at location.
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2023, August 21. Cyprus, Mediterranean Sea. Fireball. Travelling east. Delivered concurrent and delayed sound. Time: Around 18:23 UT or 21:23LT. Seen in Antalya, Jerusalem District, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia, Paphos. This was the only event recorded in the region that created a sonic boom in 2023 and three years before this. The last one recorded was out of the cetacean migratory season.
2023, August 28 to September 3. Israel and Lebanon. A cluster stranding of 3 cachalots (sperm whales). The first of the three was found August 28, on an Israeli beach. The carcass of a male sperm whale was ~ 12 meters long. The second washed up the next day, August 29, north of the city of Tyre in Lebanon was ~ 14 meters long. The third was found on Sunday, which given the date sequence would be September 3, (assuming that timeline) south of Tyre. It was a male sperm whale. The size less clearly given in that report. Researchers noted the unusually close timing and location: three whales in a short stretch of coastline (~130 km) between Israel and Lebanon. At least two of them were male. Because sperm whales often travel in groups of young males (“bachelor groups”), this raised concern that some traumatic regional event (e.g. seismic activity or underwater blast) might have affected the group.
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The following meteor airburst events occurred between June 3rd, 2024, and September 13th, 2025. The last one was over land; however, it shows how active the atmosphere has been in the region. The map shows airbursts detected by NASA dating back to 2000, a 25-year time frame, indicating that this area has experienced well-above-average events.
2024, June 3. Southern Ocean, South America – Antarctica region. Airburst. Time: 01:13. Coordinates: (63.1S, 53.2W). e = 2.6. -e = 0.092 or 94,000 kg/TNT. Altitude: 60km. Velocity: N.A.
2024, September 23. South Atlantic Ocean. Airburst. Time: 06:37. Coordinates: (45.6S, 31.9W). Energy: e = 5.5, -e = 0.18 or 180,000 kg/TNT. Altitude: 69km. Velocity: N.A.
2024, September 28. Southern Ocean, between South America and Antarctica. Airburst. Coordintes: ( 59.8S, 51.8W). Energy: 0.32kt, or 320,000 kg/TNT. Time: 00:10:19. This was only 374 km N.W from the Airburst on June 3. This event was over 4 times more powerful than the South Africa event on August 25 that caused a sonic boom heard over 160km of coastline.
2024, November 10. Southern Ocean, South America – Antarctica region. Airburst. Time: 16:31. Coordinates: (59.8S, 73.6W). e = 5.7. -e = 0.18 or 180,000 kg/TNT. Altitude: 43km. Velocity: N.A.
2025, September 13. Argentina, Lihuel Calel Department, La Pampa Province. Airburst. Time: 22:26:39UT. 19:24LT. Coordinates: (38.1S,64.8W). Altitude: 25.1 km. Energy: e = 16.7e10, -e = 0.48 or 480,000 kg/TNT. Velocity: 17.8 km/s.
2016, May 3. Kenya, near Kilifi. A mass stranding of over 100 melon-headed whales. This was one of the largest strandings recorded in Kenya. Unfortunately, many of the whales did not survive despite rescue efforts.
2016, July 5. Indian Ocean, 390km ESE off Somalia coast. Airburst. Energy: 0.44 kt or 440,000 kg/TNT.
2016, September 14. Indian Ocean, Kenya, 470km off the coast. Airburst. Coordinates: (3.5S, 44.6E). e = 240,000 kg/TNT.
2016, October 14. Tanzania in Kilwa. Dead cachalot (sperm whale).
2016, October 19. Kenya, Ngomeni, north of Malindi. Dead cachalot (sperm whale).
2016, October 23. Tanzania, Kizimkazi. Indian Ocean humpback dolphin stranded and died.
Note: I will update this with further events. It should also be noted that Somalia has a large section of unmonitored coastline south of Mogadishu.
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It would require coordinated multi-discipline evidence that converges on the same conclusion: (1) an airburst actually happened close enough in time/place to plausibly affect animals; (2) physical/forensic evidence shows the animals sustained injuries or physiological effects consistent with a pressure/shock or electromagnetic event; and (3) other, more likely causes are ruled out. Below, I lay out a practical, step-by-step research program, including the measurements and protocols needed, the statistical approach, logistical/ethical constraints, and a brief checklist of “minimal convincing evidence.” There are other topics not listed below, such as unmonitored coastlines and population densities etc.
High-level research strategy
Detect — Build/assemble independent records showing a meteor/bolide/airburst occurred (satellite, infrasound, optical, radar, eyewitness, seismic).
Correlate — Show the timing and location of the atmospheric event match the stranding (within a plausible window given propagation and whale behavior).
Forensically link — Perform necropsies and environment sampling that produce signatures consistent with airburst effects (e.g., barotrauma-like injuries, ear damage, microdebris).
Exclude alternatives — Systematically rule out known stranding causes (acoustic sonar, disease, algal toxins, navigational error, prey movements, geomagnetic anomalies).
Replicate — Accumulate multiple independent events with the same convergent evidence to move from anecdote to pattern.
Model plausibility — Physically model how an airburst of the observed energy at the observed altitude/distance would transmit shock/noise into the water and what biological effects would be expected.
Concrete measurements & instrumentation you need
Atmospheric / bolide detection
Government infrasound arrays and seismic networks (detect pressure waves).
Satellite detections (IR, optical, flash sensors — e.g., US government bolide reports where available).
Ground optical meteor networks / fireball cameras and radar if available.
Citizen reports, smartphone videos (timestamped), and audio.
Ocean acoustic & physical monitoring
Coastal and deep-water hydrophone recordings (to capture underwater pressure/sonic signatures).
Coastal seismic stations (some airbursts couple into the ground).
Surface wave and tsunami sensors (to detect any surface impulsive displacement).
Biological & forensic
Rapid, standardized necropsies performed by trained marine mammal pathologists. Key samples/observations: inner ear examination (cochlea — hemorrhage or trauma), lungs (barotrauma, pulmonary hemorrhage), eyes (hemorrhage), gas bubble formation in tissues, soft tissue hemorrhages, organ pathology, toxicology (algae toxins), microbiology (pathogens).
Histology of ear and brain tissue to detect blast-type lesions.
Stable isotope/diet analysis to check feeding status, and stomach contents to see if prey behavior was a factor.
Collection of external materials from bodies/nearby shoreline (micrometeorites, melted-glass spherules, unusual particulates).
Environmental & oceanographic
Bathymetry and coastline slope maps (to assess navigational risk).
Local ocean temperature, currents, and prey distribution (fish/krill surveys or acoustic fishery data).
Records of local human naval/industrial acoustic sources (sonar, seismic surveys, shipping).
Tagging / telemetry (where available)
Long-term tagged whales can provide pre-event behavior: dive profiles, vocalization changes, heading changes. If a tagged pod shows synchronized behavioral anomaly at the time of a bolide, that would be powerful.
Necropsy protocol (fast, standardized)
Time is critical. A suggested rapid response protocol:
Secure scene; photograph and map carcasses and surrounding area.
Within 24 hours (fresher is better) perform full necropsy following established marine mammal protocols (e.g., IWC/NOAA guidance). Record gross lesions.
Sample and preserve (label + chain of custody): inner ears, brain, lung, spleen, kidney, muscle, stomach contents, blood/serum, ear bones (if needed), and environmental particulates. Freeze portions for later histology, toxicology, genetic testing.
Take swabs/samples from skin/blubber surface for particulates.
Submit samples to pathology labs and independent labs for histology (ear, brain), gas analysis (embolic gas composition), and trace element/particle analysis (spherules, microtektites, meteoritic composition).
Publish/ archive all raw necropsy data publicly for review.
Specific forensic signatures that would support an airburst cause
Look for multiple, converging signatures rather than a single oddity:
Temporal/spatial coincidence: bolide/airburst detection within minutes–hours and within tens to a few hundreds of kilometers (depending on event strength) of the stranding.
Blast/pressure injuries: inner ear hemorrhages, pulmonary hemorrhage, gas bubble formation in tissues consistent with rapid pressure change. (These findings could also match sonar-related injuries, so comparative pathology matters.)
Absence of other causes: negative for algal toxins, no evidence of infectious disease sufficient to kill the pod, no nearby naval sonar or seismic activity that could explain it.
Physical debris: discovery of meteoritic micro-spherules or high-temperature melt products on animals or immediate coastline that match the bolide composition.
Acoustic records: hydrophone/infrasound signatures that match a strong near-shore airburst and, ideally, timing that matches behavioral anomalies in tagged whales.
Behavioral telemetry: tags showing synchronous abrupt surfacing, disorientation, or anomalous dives concurrent with the event.
Statistical & analytical approach
Case–control design: Compare strandings coincident with detected bolides to a matched set of strandings with no bolide. Assess whether the coincidence rate is greater than random expectation.
Time-series analyses: Use permutation tests to see if strandings cluster around bolide dates more than expected. Adjust for confounders (season, coastal traffic, sonar exercises).
Bayesian hierarchical modeling: Combine different evidence streams (probability of bolide occurrence, probability of biological injury given bolide parameters, prior plausibility) to produce posterior probability that airburst caused stranding.
Forensic likelihood ratio: For each event, compute likelihood of observed forensic/pathology evidence under two models — airburst vs alternative cause (e.g., sonar). A high likelihood ratio in favor of airburst would be compelling.
Power/sample size: Because strandings are relatively rare and airbursts in the right place/time are rarer, expect to need multiple well-documented events to reach high confidence. Simulations (Monte Carlo) using estimated base rates of airbursts and strandings can help estimate required sample sizes.
Logistics, collaborators & data sources
Collaborators: marine mammal stranding networks, university marine biology/pathology labs, atmospheric physics groups (meteoritics), infrasound/seismology groups, oceanographers, national space/defense agencies (for satellite bolide data), citizen science networks (fireball cameras).
Data sharing: set up rapid alerting and data sharing — e.g., if a large fireball is detected near a coast, stranding networks are notified to prepare. Conversely, rapid stranding reports should trigger searches for bolide records.
Legal/ethical: you cannot intentionally expose animals to harmful blasts; all work must be observational/forensic and follow animal welfare laws.
Challenges & likely confounders
Similar pathologies: sonar and strong underwater explosions can produce ear/inner-organ injuries similar to a blast from an airburst — differentiating the two requires careful context (presence/absence of sonar records) and possibly micro-pattern differences on histology.
Signal attenuation: atmospheric shockwaves dissipate quickly and couple into water inefficiently — small/medium airbursts may have negligible marine effects unless very close. Modeling is needed to show physical plausibility.
Sparse detection coverage: not every airburst is captured by government satellites or infrasound arrays publicly, making negatives ambiguous.
Rarity of coincident events: obtaining multiple high-quality, independent events may take years.
Minimal convincing evidence (a practical threshold)
For a single event to be considered strong evidence, you’d want:
Clear, independently recorded bolide/airburst (satellite/infrasound/optical) close in time and space.
Hydrophone/infrasound records showing a pressure transient reaching the ocean at a plausible level.
Necropsy findings consistent with rapid pressure/sonic trauma (inner ear hemorrhage, pulmonary lesions) in multiple animals from the same stranding.
Negative results for other major causes (toxin, disease, naval sonar).
Physical particulates or melt spherules consistent with a bolide found in the environment or on animals (this is optional but would be a strong added signature).
Ideally, at least one independent replication (another well-documented stranding + bolide) or behavioral telemetry from tagged whales showing a temporally matched anomalous response.
A practical short plan you could implement now
Set up a formal partnership between a stranding network and a meteor/bolide detection group.
Create rapid-response SOPs for necropsy + environmental sample collection when a large fireball is reported near a coast (and vice versa).
Archive and link datasets (bolide detections, hydrophone archives, satellite reports, stranding necropsy reports, shipping/sonar logs) for retrospective searches.
Run retrospective analyses: cross-match historical bolide catalogs with historical mass stranding records for statistical excesses.
Model the blast-to-water coupling for a range of bolide energies and distances to produce a dose–response curve (pressure in water vs distance/energy). Compare modeled exposure vs lesion thresholds in mammals.
Final realistic assessment
Proving the theory beyond reasonable doubt will require multiple, multi-modal, independently verified cases where the airburst is recorded, the forensic evidence points to blast/pressure effects, and other causes are ruled out. Because other causes (sonar, disease, navigation, algal toxins) are common and can produce similar injuries, the standard of evidence must be high. Still — with dedicated coordination between stranding networks and meteor/bolide observers, rapid forensic work, and robust statistical analysis, it is scientifically testable.
2025, October 9. New Zealand, Southern Ocean, SE of Stewart Island (Rakiura). Fireball. Duration: 2.5 sec.
2025, October 10. New Zealand, Dunedin, Clutha District. Fireball. Around 10pm. A bright blue green fireball falling to the south low in the horizon. Break-up of meteoroid.
2025, October 11. New Zealand. Southern Ocean. Fireball. Break up of meteoroid. Approximately 4 hours after the above and larger.
A Marine Animal Disturbance Alert should be noted for the SE region of the South Island of New Zealand and Stewart Island/Rakiura. Even though no reports yet of sonic booms, the length and duration of the events warrant a watch for cetacean strandings. Will update this post as more information collected.
2025, October 12. New Zealand, Invercargill, SE of South Island, Awarua Bay east end. Dead Bottlenose dolphin.
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Also: 2025, October 7. Scotland. Fireball. Traveling NW over Inverness region. Concurrent and delayed auditory experience.
2025, October 7. UK, SE. Several cities stunned as a green “fireball”. Seen from as far apart as Nottingham in the UK to Bar-le-Duc in France over 640 km apart. Large as the full moon. Concurrent and delayed auditory experience.
Along the thousands of miles of unmonitored coastlines of the world, there could be graveyards that never get noticed. Researchers from Cornell University conducted an experiment to understand how often stranded dolphins are actually discovered and reported by the public—critical data for marine mammal stranding networks. Scientists placed decoy dolphin carcasses (textile bags filled with sand) around Dauphin Island, Alabama. Each decoy had a phone number tag for public reporting. Deployments occurred during peak tourist season and the off-season, across varied habitats and human activity levels. Only 58% of decoys were found and reported. Discovery rates were lower in less trafficked areas and during the off-season. This suggests that many real strandings may go unreported, skewing mortality estimates. The study helps refine search strategies for stranded animals. It underscores the need for better public awareness and more accurate mortality data to assess environmental threats and conservation needs. When you add to this that for every cetacean found on the shoreline, 20 die at sea, the number that actually do could be much higher than we thought.
2025, October 9. New Zealand, NE North Island, on Northland’s Ripiro Beach. A female cachalot (sperm whale) died. It comes after the two fireballs in the Northland and Auckland regions. One on October 2nd in the Dargaville area and earlier on September 26th in the Auckland region. There was a very bright, green fireball meteor. Travelling WNW over the coast.
Also: 2025, October 6. Malaysia, Perak, Teluk Senangin. Dead dolphin.
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Note; Sonic boom heard in Victoria. 2025, October 8. Victoria, Kyneton Region. Fireball. Time: 11.06pm. Sonic boom. Travelling directly south. Duration: 6 sec. Quite a few heard/felt a bang at 11.05/.06 in Elphinstone, Malmsbury, Kyneton, Carlsruhe. There was another meteor spotted at 9:30.
On Sunday evening, October 5, 2025, a large meteor entered Earth’s atmosphere near Cirebon, West Java. It created a bright fireball and a loud explosion that startled residents across Kuningan and Cirebon. The meteor came in over land from the SW to NE direction. The meteor crashed into the Java Sea between 6:35 PM and 6:39 PM local time. BRIN astronomer Thomas Djamaluddin confirmed the event, explaining the boom was caused by a shockwave as the meteor descended through the atmosphere. It was heard over an area of 700 (km²). BMKG’s seismic sensors detected ground vibrations at the same time. The explosion/boom was also detected at the Public Sonic Boom Observation Station in Bali 700 km away. Residents, especially in Lemahabang, reported seeing the fireball and hearing the blast, which posed no danger. It was described as a "Fairly large meteor". A Marine Animal Disturbance Alert should be noted for the coastal regions of West, Central and associated islands of Java, Indonesia, between Jakarta and Semarang in the Java Sea.
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I'm still researching stranding events in France and came across two other large incidents that were notable. These are just preliminary and noted for interest. See September 18th post.
2019, October 13. France. Fireball. A brilliant meteor was spotted in the Eastern part of country at 04:48 UTC. The fireball was seen not only from France but also from parts of Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
2020, December 13. France. Fireball. 115 reports about a meteor fireball seen over Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Baden-Württemberg, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Fribourg, Grand Est, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Piemonte, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rheinland-Pfalz and Vaud. Time: around 16:42 UT.
Histograms & Stranding Maps Scavenging Database: Histograms & Stranding Maps
2025, October 1. Malaysia, Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan, Malaysia. Fireball. Sonic Boom heard. Sarawak witnesses heard a loud bang following the sighting These sightings were reported by several witnesses across Sarawak, from Bintulu to Miri on the island of Borneo. Loud bangs were heard around Samalaju Bintulu Miri. The meteor was first spotted at around 8.50pm, near the Samalaju industrial area in Malayia 230km south. Travelling NNE towards Brunei Bay, South China Sea. A Marine Animal Disturbance Alert should be noted for the region.
2025, September 27. Canada, Prince Edward Island, Pituamkek National Park Reserve. Efforts are underway to refloat three large sperm whales that are stranded off western Prince Edward Island's North Shore. The cetaceans stranded on the ocean side of a small chain of islands close to Hardys Channel on Gulf of St. Lawrence side, near East Bideford. Meteor activity in the region includes an event on the 21st west of Quebec City and one on the 22nd on the east coast of Nova Scotia, with both events producing sonic booms.
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Note: (Southern Hemisphere) There is an active meteor outburst in the constellation of horologium. Next 72 hours. The radiant is near Gamma Horologii.
2025, September 25. Crete, Mediterranean Sea, South Cretan Sea, municipalities of Viannos and Ierapetra, coast of Keratokampos. Report: ARION confirmed a mass stranding of Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) on the coasts of southeastern Crete. Four whales were found: three already dead, and one alive that later did not survive. Update: See below the meteor/fireball on the 13th.
2025, September 13. Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and Sicilia, Malta region. District. Fireball. Time: 22:45 UT or 00:45 EET. Duration: 3.5s. Seen in Italy - Calabria, and Sicilia Libya - Misrata District. Seen in locations 750km apart. Travelling NE.
Also: 2025, September 22. UK, Cumbrian coast on the Irish Sea, near Silloth. A mass stranding involving four common dolphins – two adults, a juvenile, and a calf. One adult and a calf died next to each other, but the other adult and a juvenile were kept alive by volunteers until the tide came in and refloated.
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I'm glad this didn't happen over water. Satellite image of the meteor explosion over Argentina. 2025, September 13. Argentina, Lihuel Calel Department, La Pampa Province. Airburst. Time: 22:26:39UT. 19:24LT. Coordinates: (38.1S,64.8W). Altitude: 25.1 km. Energy: e = 16.7e10, -e = 0.48 or 480,000 kg/TNT. Velocity: 17.8 km/s. Trajectory east-west with a luminosity trail about 80km long. Seen east at Bahía Blanca, Provincia de Buenos Aires (AR), Witness: “ It was persistent and incandescent, like it got on fire quickly. The train lasted for a while. It was kind of a whiteish explosion and I saw some fragmentation.” Seen 520km south at Puerto Madryn, Chubut Province (AR) Witness: “It exploded very close to the ground, at an extremely fast speed, and the explosion was very, very large. It left a huge trail of fire, and then the smoke remained as a red cloud for more than 10 minutes.”
Image: RAMMB/CIRA in its GOES 19
A dolphin died in Brazil. I'm not linking this to the recent airburst, just keeping a close eye on what's happening.
2023, February 13. France, English Channel. Meteor/Meteorites Recovered. A small asteroid called 2023 CX1 entered Earth’s atmosphere and streaked across the skies of Normandy. The meteor produced a shock wave, which was heard by some witnesses and was detected by French seismographs. The event produced a bright fireball and multiple meteorites that were collected on the ground.
2023, February 16 and 25. France, Atlantic Coast. Mass dolphin deaths. 245 cetacean carcasses were identified on the Atlantic coast, with more than 400 dolphins found stranded along the coast, marking an unprecedented number.
2023, April 26. Celtic Sea, North Atlantic. Airburst. Coordinates: (47N, 10.7W). Time: 13:14. Altitude: 29.6 km. Velocity: 16.2. e= 2.4. -e= 0.11 or 110,000 kg/TNT.
France Histograms & Stranding Maps
Update: 2025, September 9. South Atlantic, 77km off the coast of Brazil in Ceará. Some witnesses reported faint hissing sounds, while others described loud booms comparable to thunder, in one case strong enough to cause ground vibrations. The event was caught on satellite by NASA.
Also:
2025, September 13. Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and Sicily, Malta region. Misrata; Misrata District. Fireball. Time: 22:45 UT or 00:45 EET. Duration: 3.5s. Seen in Calabria, Misrata District and Sicilia.
2025, September 10. Mid Pacific Ocean, French Polynesia. Airburst. Time: 11:00:57. Coordinates: (14.8S,142.4W). Altitude: 37.0km. Energy: 2.8e10, -e = 0.098 or 98,000 kg/TNT. Velocity: NA. This is the 26th airburst of 2025.
2025, September 13. (Land-based Event) Argentina, Lihuel Calel Department, La Pampa Province. Airburst. Time: 22:26:39UT. 19:24LT. Coordinates: (38.1S,64.8W). Altitude: 25.1 km. Energy: e = 16.7e10, -e = 0.48 or 480,000 kg/TNT. Velocity: 17.8 km/s. Seen east at Bahía Blanca, Provincia de Buenos Aires (AR), “ It was persistent and incandescent, like it got on fire quickly. The train lasted for a while. It was kind of a whiteish explosion and I saw some fragmentation.” Seen 520km south at Puerto Madryn, Chubut Province (AR) “It exploded very close to the ground, at an extremely fast speed, and the explosion was very very large. It left a huge trail of fire and then the smoke remained as a red cloud for more than 10 minutes.” This is the 27th airburst of 2025.
2025, September 10. USA, North Atlantic. Fireball. Seen in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont on Thursday, Travelling SSW on the coast near Casco Bay, Maine. Time: 20:47EDT.
2025, September 13. USA, Well Fleet, Chipman’s Cove. A mass stranding of 7 dolphins. Out of the 12 in the pod, comprising six males and six females, spanning juvenile, subadult, and adult stages, seven ended up stranded, while others stayed afloat in shallow waters. The rescued animals underwent veterinary care, such as intravenous hydration and comfort measures, enroute to their release point near Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown. The next day, five dolphins were spotted again in the Herring River Gut area of Wellfleet. One had passed away before help arrived, but the four surviving ones were transported and freed into deeper waters off Herring Cove Beach.
Observation Topic: The comet SWAN25B was detected approximately 72 hours ago following its perihelion passage, when it became visible in the night sky. Prior to this, it remained undetected because its trajectory brought it into the inner solar system from the Sun-facing, or daylight, side of the sky. Since solar illumination limits terrestrial observations to the night hemisphere at any given time, the comet’s approach was concealed within the Sun’s glare until its recent emergence. It remains uncertain whether this phenomenon is responsible for the recent increase in meteor airbursts; however, ongoing observations over the coming weeks may provide further insight. Additional atmospheric anomalies, including unexplained explosive events, have been reported within the past week, though these so-called 'ghost events' appear to have been excluded from NASA’s official analyses. Either side of October 5th is likely to be eventful. Comet SWAN25B also shows how unprepared we are for these out-of-the-blue objects when they arrive from Earth's blind spots.
2025, November 11. Florida, North Atlantic, 40km east of Port St. Lucie and 100km NW of Grand Bahama. Airburst. Time: 17:39:51. Coordinates:...
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