Cachalot calf dies in Samos

2025, August 31. Greece, island of Samos, North Aegean. Dead cachalot (sperm whale) calf. There was a sonic boom heard in Istanbul and the Aegean Sea region on August 2nd, with the object seen as far south as Crete The second fireball was over the north Thracian Sea coastal area on 20th. Information is limited. The August 2nd event was travelling towards the Black Sea. 

Update: 2025, August 1. Aegean Sea. Fireball. Travelling north. 2025 around 20:27 UT. Local Time: 23:27EEST.

Update 20250902: Another Fireball: Saturday, August 30th 2025, around 18:14 UT. Over the coastal region of Izmir in Turkey, the east Aegean Sea. Reports from Greece and Bulgaria. Traveling east.

Update 20250905: Mediterranean, Ionian Sea. Fireball. Travelling NNW towards the Adriatic Sea. No Sound. Seen in Sicilia and Vlorë County on Tuesday, September 2nd 2025, around 17:59 UT. Local Time: 20:29.

This is not a mass stranding event, however there is a lot of activity in the region, so it could escalate. 

Japan cetacean strandings

There will be further data added to list. 

2025, August 19. Japan, Hokkaido, Urahoro. Species Name: Cachalot. Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Coordinates: Long-Lat: (42.829063N 143.849480E). In a state of advanced decomposition. Body length: ~10m. Sex: Unknown.

2025, August 20. Japan, Hokkaido Hidaka. Species Name: Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus). Coordinates: (Long-Lat: 42.468305N 142.120956E). In a state of advanced decomposition. Body length: 573.5. Sex: M

2025, August 25. Japan, Hokkaido, Tomakomai. Species: Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus). Coordinates: (42.602420N 141.493814E). In a state of moderate decomposition. Body length: ~2m. Sex: Unknown.

Two Mass Strandings in the Caribbean

2025, August 17 and 18. Antigua and Barbuda, Caribbean. Two mass strandings of Pantropical spotted dolphins. The first occurrence took place on Jolly Beach, on the west side of Antigua, where five Pantropical spotted dolphins attempted to beach themselves several times. The second was in Barbuda 30 miles away. Up to 12 Pantropical spotted dolphins stranded on rocks, some of which were upside down, eventually swam offshore.

Meteor Airburst off the coast of Japan

2025, August 19. Japan. Large Airburst. Time: 14:08:48UT, 23:08 LT. Coordinates: (131.8E, 30.9N). Altitude: 27.5 km. Velocity: 19.624 km/s. Energy: e = 65.8e10 or -e = Impact energy of 1.6 or 1,600,000 kg/TNT. Approximatly 70km NE of Tanegashima Island and 80 km from Japans coastal mainland. Many people in Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures posted on social media that they had seen a ball of light in the sky. The flash was so powerful it lit up Kagoshima City completely, 140 km away, for a few seconds. It was also filmed clearly from Kansi airport 500km to the NE. Eight minutes later, a notable atmospheric pressure wave measuring 12.5 pascals was recorded southeast of Sakurajima, 120km from the event. Seismic instruments also detected ground vibrations. Staff at the local weather office on the opposite side of Kagoshima Bay reported hearing a loud “boom” after opening a window. This is the 23rd airburst recorded this year. A Marine Animal Disturbance Alert should be noted for the coastal regions of SE and Central Japan and surrounding islands. 

What’s Happening in the Waters Between Cape Verde and The Gambia

(From post below) 2025, August 16. Cape Verde, Boa Vista, Praia da Varandinha. A mass stranding of around 40 short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) were found stranded on the sand. Majority died.

2025, August 19. Gambia. Southern coastline of the Gambia is a cause for concern. Authorities have recently discovered 6 dead dolphins and 3 dead sea turtles on the coastline between Gunjur and Kartong village. What caused these deaths is not known. Update: 20250820. Nine dead dolphins have now been found within three days. 

Mass Stranding of pilot whales in Cape Verde

2025, August 16. Cape Verde, Boa Vista, Praia da Varandinha. A mass stranding of around 40 short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) were found stranded on the sand. The majority died. Will update when NASA releases bolide data for region. 

Update of Beaked whale stranding in Sweden after sonic boom

2025, August 5. Denmark, just north of Holbeck over water between Sweden and Denmark. Fireball. Time: It was 19h 17min UT (21h 17min CEST), and the sky was not yet fully dark. A very bright fireball crossed the sky and was reported by more than 80 persons. As the Sun was not far below the horizon, the vapor trail was visible and deformed due to the high altitude winds, which was widely photographed by witnesses. Some people also reported hearing sonic booms, which indicates that the fireball must have descended into the lowest part of the atmosphere.

2025, August 8. Sweden, Åsa in Kungsbacka. Two Common Spitsnuit dolphins (Mesoplodon bidens) also known as Sowerby Beaked whales stranded. They were refloated, however the younger one restranded and died later. The species Sowerby's beaked whale, is rare in Swedish waters. On August Friday 8, two stranded beaked whales were found at Åsa in Halland, Sweden. The Coast Guard helped the whales out into deeper water, but on August Sunday 10, one of the whales was found dead in Frillesås near Kungsbacka, to north), Sweden. The other was also found dead, on Läsö Island in Denmark, which is between Sweden and Denmark on same day. The ones found in Halland were 3.5 and 2.75 meters long, respectively.  

(IMO)

Also: 2025, August 13. Time: around 11h UT (16h VOST) above Vostok station, in central Antarctica (latitude. ~ 78° 27′ 51″ S ; longitude. ~ 106° 50° 14″ E). Fireball. The scientists of the Antarctic Scientific Research Institute (AARI) were able to observe the event and photograph the residual vapour trail, illuminated by the Sun, which was not very low below the horizon, for more than half an hour.

Mass stranding in UK, Sweden has stranding and sonic boom in Australia

2025, August 10 (Could have been dead for some days to a week). Scotland, Orkney, Whitemill Bay. A mass stranding of twenty three long-finned pilot whales, some of them young calves, have been discovered on the shoreline in Sanday. One of the whales was a pregnant female. See July 3rd fireball that created sonic boom. 

2025, August 10. Sweden, Åsa in Kungsbacka. Two Sowerbys stranded. They were refloated; however, the younger one restranded and died later. It comes after the 2025, July 1(See update). Sweden and Finland meteor that created a sonic boom. Although it seems likely that this event could cause strandings, it is more likely due to the July 3rd meteor incident above in Scotland that has caused havoc.

These land-based events give me incredible data on what happens when meteor sonic booms occur. When a relatively small stone can create such a fuss over land, an airburst over water could create a lot of problems for cetaceans. 

Update 20250811: At the moment, there have been several other meteor events sighted over Bass Strait on the night of the main event above. Therefore, a Marine Animal Disturbance Watch should be noted for the coastal regions. 

‘Meteor’ crashes to earth with loud bang & leaves houses shaking after lighting up night sky in Australia | The US Sun

Stranding update: 20250810

This is the last update on single strandings. In the future, I will focus on mass strandings/clusters. Once the data is collected, I will issue MAD's or give a report on events as they unfolded. 

2025, August 8? (week prior). South Africa, near Struisbaai. A newborn Southern right whale calf stranded and died. No clear cause of death was found.

2025, August 7. Scotland, Orkney Westray, at Pierowell. Lone Pilot whale calf in trouble. Still maternally dependent. Outcome unknown.

2025, August 7. Scotland, Calgary, Mull, Argyll And Bute. Harbour Porpoise in an moderate to advanced state of decomposition.

2025, August 7. Scotland, Liniclate, Benbecula, Western Isles. Striped Dolphin. In a state of moderate to advanced decomposition.

2025, August 7. Ireland, Blacksod Bay, Tarmon Beach. Common dolphin rescued. This was the 19th live-stranded dolphin in the bay so far this year.

2025, August 7. Ireland, Helvic, Co. Waterford. Two juvenile Sowerby’s beaked whales live stranded – one male and one female. Both whales did not survive.

2025, August 8. Philippines, Mindanao, Purok 3B, San Vicente Village, Casinglot, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental. A dead dolphin was found in fishing net.

2025, August 08. Scotland, Kames Bay, Millport, Cumbrae, North Ayrshire. A Short-Beaked Common Dolphin in a state of light decomposition.

2025, August 9. Philippines, Romblon, Agmanic, Santa Fe, Tablas Island. A young pilot whale, around 3–4 meters long, was found washed ashore in early morning. Local authorities are now investigating.

2025, August 9. Philippines, Magallanes. A young pilot whale stranded and died.

Thirteen dolphins saved in mass stranding

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 rescued.

2025, August 5. Scotland, Fiadhairt, Loch Dunvegan, Skye, Highland. Short-Beaked Common Dolphin in a state of slight decomposition.

2025, August 5. UK, Widemouth Bay, Wanson mouth. Dead dolphin.

2025, August 5. Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. Dead dolphins. Three over three days from August 3 to 5. On August 5, a dead dolphin was found at Primorsko. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in the Black Sea there have been more and more cases of dolphins dying. Reports about this come not only from Russia and Ukraine but also from Turkey, Romania, and other countries. Hundreds of dead animals have been found in the Black Sea and along its coasts since the beginning of the year. In some regions, these figures have already exceeded those of the whole of last year.

2025, August 6. New South Wales, Central Coast, Umina Beach, A male dolphin stranded and died.  

2025, August 6. Svalbard. A dead (small) beluga.

2025, August 6. UK, Hunstanton, Snettisham beach. Sowerbys Beaked whale was found dead.

2025, August 6. Egypt, North Coast village. A male Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) located dead, a species common in Egypt’s territorial waters. It measured approximately two meters in length and had decomposed noticeably.  

Atlantic white-sided dolphins stuck in mud in Canning, Nova Scotia (c) Marine Animal Response Society  

ORCA (Australia)

Minke whale strands days after fireball

2025, August 2. USA, New Jersey, Barnegat Bay near the inlet. A Minke whale, approximately 20 feet in length, was in distress and struck a small vessel in shallow water. It died shortly after. It comes after the 30th July fireball. 2025, July 30. USA, Fireball. Seen in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Travelling SW across the New York/New Jersey Bight.