Continued meteor activity in Tasman Sea

2024, April 28. New Zealand, North Island, Cook Strait. Meteors. Numerous meteors were detected travelling N.W. over the Tasman Sea.

Map – Fireballs Aotearoa

I will use this situation to see, (if there is a stranding), to answer the question of why sometimes whales strand after bad weather. There is a gale warning for Raglan coastal area for the next few days. If whales are under extreme stress from meteor activity, they will more likely run ashore during these weather events. Whales in this situation need to stay at sea, where a number are likely to die naturally if they are under stress. The rest of the pod will survive and swim on. If a storm comes along during this time, the whole pod will likely come to shore. Time will tell. I hope not, but this is another scenario that needs to be observed. As noted, it is not uncommon for pods to strand after storms. The question has been why? I will start using weather maps to add to observed events in the future. 

Raglan Coastal Marine Weather Forecast - MetService New Zealand

Similarities between strandings in Western Australia and meteor activity

Last year. 2023, July 25. Western Australia. A pod of 97 Black Dolphins strand at Cheynes Beach, east of Albany. At least 52 whales die.

A few days before: 2023, July 21. Western Australia, west of Albany. Meteor. Time: 12:03. Velosity: 44km/s. Traveling N.W. Duration 2.54 seconds. Appeared in atmosphere at 112 km and ended at 90 km. This was part of a wider and very strong stream of meteors that came into the upper atmosphere that are not shown on the map below. The whales were basically driven to shore under heavy VLF radio waves.

Map – Fireballs Aotearoa

Western Australia Whale Stranding and meteoroid update

Two other notable meteors came into the atmosphere 2 days before the April 26th stranding of the Black Dolphins. With the large one on the 15th (see posts below), these three events combined are a VLF Radio wave storm for whales.

2024, April 24. Western Australia. Time: 14:00UTC. Meteor. Velocity: 68km/s. Duration: 1.53 seconds. Location: S.W. of Albany in the Southern Ocean. Traveling W.N.W.

2024, April 24. Western Australia. Time: 20:03UTC. Meteor. Velocity: 55km/s. Duration: 3.12 seconds. Location: West of Albany. Started over land and ended in the Southern Ocean. Travelling W.S.W.

Map – Fireballs Aotearoa

Whale stranding in Western Australia - Updated 20240426 at 15:30. 150 whales saved, well done to the rescuers

See the April 18th post titled: Meteor, Indian Ocean south of Perth, Western Australia.

2024, April 25. Western Australia, Tobys Inlet, between Dunsborough and Busselton, 250km south of Perth. Up to 160 pilot whales. There are four pods of whales spread across 500 metres of beach with another two pods of about 130 animals offshore in the ocean. 26 have already died. 

Final Update: 160 whales beached, 130 whales have been refloated and 28 whales died. Spotter planes are keeping a watch to see if they are staying offshore. The real blessing about this event is they came in during the day, if they had come in late in the night it could have been a real disaster. Sad about the other whales but this is a really good outcome.

2024, April 26. Western Australia, Eagle Bay. 2 Black Dolphins. Linked to above event. A lone Black Dolphin calf has been euthanised. Also Quindalup Beach had been closed while one Black Dolphin that had washed up there overnight was removed.

Authorities respond to mass whale stranding at Toby's Inlet, near Dunsborough in WA (msn.com)

Rescue crews scramble to save pilot whales beached in Marybrook, near Busselton and Dunsborough | The West Australian

Mass stranding of pilot whales at Toby's Inlet near Dunsborough | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT

Meteor in New Zealand

2024, April 21. New Zealand, West North Island, Tasman Sea. Meteor. Time: 12:52 UTC. Location (Start -37.52, 174.89: End -39.59, 172.51). Travelling S.W. Velocity: 47.89 km/s. Flight Duration: 308km in 6.57 seconds. Height starts at 106km and ends at 96km. Connected to April Lyrids. This event might create a marine animal disturbance. It was out at sea when fragmenting, and seems to be an isolated event. The atmosphere is quiet at the moment. For marine life to be disturbed meteor showers or one-off meteoroid streams have to be lengthy over days or weeks. This causes prolonged irritation leading to a stranding event. These larger events though are in a category of their own and are highly likely to cause MAD's. Farewell Spit/Cook Strait area could see a stranding.

Data taken from Map – Fireballs Aotearoa

In the USA: "Dolphin found shot to death on the beach with bullets lodged in its brain, spinal cord and heart"

The New York Post and ABC News are running stories on this. 

Dead dolphin discovered on beach with bullets 'lodged' in brain, spine and heart (nypost.com)

Dolphin found shot to death on beach with bullets lodged in its brain, spinal cord and heart - ABC News (go.com)

Mass bird deaths in New Zealand seven days after sonic boom

2024, April 22. New Zealand, Lake Wānaka, Dublin Bay. 100 dead birds, including 85 paradise shelducks, on the shore of Lake Wānaka, and in a nearby paddock a dead black swan, nine Canada geese, three paradise shelduck, and a mallard.

Dead paradise shelducks litter the shoreline at Dublin Bay yesterday. Photo: Otago Fish & Game

Mystery as 100 dead birds found in Wānaka | Otago Daily Times Online News (odt.co.nz)

Sonic Boom heard after meteor.

2024, April 15. New Zealand, South Island, Otago and Southland. Time: 08:17 UT, 20:30NZST. Travelling N.N.W. Sonic boom heard (Delayed).

New Zealand meteor

2024, April 18. New Zealand, Canterbury, Marlborough, Tasman and Wellington. Fireball. Time: Around 07:59 UT or 19:59NZST.

American Meteor Society (amsmeteors.org)

Meteor, Indian Ocean south of Perth, Western Australia

Watch for marine disturbance after meteor. This wasn't a large or low meteor by any means; however, it is significant enough to warrant a post because of the migration patterns for marine life this time of year. 

2024, April 16. Western Australia, Indian Ocean, S.W of Perth. Meteor. Location: (-34.29, 113.09). Time: 15:33UCT. Velocity: 63.87 km/s. Flight Duration: It travelled 225km in 3.71 seconds.  

Thanks to Map – Fireballs Aotearoa for event data.

900 Dolphins dead in Peru along with thousands of birds

2012, March to April. Peru. Since March some 4,000 birds, mostly pelicans and boobies, and 900 dolphins have been found dead along a 200-kilometer stretch of northern coastline reaching up to the border with Ecuador. The affected coastline has been closed with only scientists allowed to access the area. Reasons for the deaths include a virus, contamination, and overfishing. Corruption within the fishing industry causing reductions in anchovy stocks is blamed for the bird deaths. Investigations are continuing and could take five to 10 days to establish a cause.

m.naharnet.com/stories/en/39656-scientist-alarmed-as-peru-pelican-and-dolphin-deaths-rise

Home (nasa.gov)

Bolide Detections from Geostationary Lightning Mapper

Mass stranding of dolphins in Massachusetts and dead dolphin in Texas

2024, April 13.USA, Massachusetts, Duck Creek in Wellfleet. 5 dolphins were rescued, however, 2 died.

5 dolphins rescued, 2 dead after being stranded on Cape Cod (boston.com)

2024, April 7. USA, Massuchusetts. Time: around 01:15 UT, 21:15EDT. Fireball.

Fireball Logs - American Meteor Society (amsmeteors.org)

2024, April 13. USA, Texas, Houston, Rockport. A dead dolphin was located in an advanced state of decomposition.

Dead dolphin ashore creates bureaucratic snafu for coastal Texas town (lmtonline.com)

Meteors in the Shetland Islands and France

2024, April 13. Shetland Islands, Dunrossness. Time: 8.24am. The loud sonic boom could be heard all over the isles from Unst to South Mainland 80km away. Caught on webcam.

 Orkney, Shetland potential meteor spotted Saturday morning (pressandjournal.co.uk)

2024, April 11. Around 18:48 UT, 20:48 CEST. France. Seen also in Spain. Fireball. Inland. Locations Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Catalonia, Cataluña, Centre-Val de Loire, Comunidad Valenciana, Navarre, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Travelling W.N.W. The sonic boom had concurrent and delayed properties.

Credit: Nhin S.

American Meteor Society (amsmeteors.org)

Fireball over North Sea

2024, April 10. The Netherlands. Fireball. Also seen in France, Belgium and Germany. Around 19:57 UT, or 21:56 CEST local time. Sonic boom heard; concurrent and delayed, meaning it could have produced VLF radio waves making this an electrophonic meteor. Travelled N.W. over the coast and exploded over the North Sea. This event could cause marine animal disturbance, See Meteor brings bright fireball to Belgium’s night skies (VIDEO) | VRT NWS: news

Google Maps

Fireball event (amsmeteors.org)

Meteor Airburst in North Atlantic

2024, April 9. North Atlantic. Airburst. Location (36.5, -37.8). Time: 04:47. e=3.3, -e=0.11. Equivalent energy of 110,000 kilograms of TNT. Altitude: 36.3 km. 700km W.S.W of the Azores.

Fireballs (nasa.gov)

Localized Meteoroid display in Iran

2024, April 5. Iran, Ahvaz is in the south of the country, near the border with Iraq. Localised meteoroid shower crossing over Iran looked like missiles crossing over Iran towards Iraq and Kuwait, where residents thought they were Iranian ballistic missiles launching towards Israel. It is still unclear how many were seen; however, some travelled across the sky for tens of seconds.

Video: Meteorites crossing over Iran look like missiles - Muraselon News

UPDATE: Earth Skimming Fireball was asteroid in Spain, and China Airburst on March 17

2024, March 30. Spain/Mediterranean. Earth Skimming Fireball. Time: 22h59m TUC (23h59 CET). Flew over Catalonia, across the Balearic Sea and the Balearic Islands. It was caught on camera for well over 35 seconds.

It was a piece of asteroid that flew over the Mediterranean (ecoportal.net)

2024, March 17. China, Zhongchangyuan, Zixi County, Fuzhou, Jiangxi. Airburst. Location (27.6, 117). Altitude: 42.1 km. Velocity: 25.6 km/s. e = 3.7 and -e = 0.13. Equivalent to 130,000 kg of TNT.

Google Maps

Data collected from Bolide visualizer (seti.org)

Dead whale in New Zealand

2024, April 3. New Zealand. A 15m dead whale (Possibly humpback or blue whale) has washed up on Parapara Beach in Golden Bay (near Farewell Spit) Cook Strait/Tasman Sea. First seen at sea on the 2 April. Project Jonah are investigating the incident.

Golden Bay: Dead 15m whale washes up on Parapara Beach - NZ Herald

Dead dolphin in South Carolina and sea meteor Cuba/Florida

2024, March 30. US, South Carolina, Pawleys Island. Juvenile dolphin. Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network is looking into the incident.

2024, April 1. USA-Cuba, Florida. Large meteor over sea travelling north. Time: Approximately 04:27 UT. 

Dead dolphin found washed up on shore in Pawleys Island (wpde.com)

American Meteor Society (amsmeteors.org)