The Lebanon/Israel mass cetacean stranding incident in 2023

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.