The 2003 Whatipu Stranding & Leonid Fireballs

The stranding occurred exactly during the peak of the 2003 Leonid meteor shower. Astronomers recorded that while the overall meteor count was moderate, this specific year produced a high concentration of fireballs (bolides).

Leonid meteors are the fastest of any annual shower, entering at roughly 72 km/s (161,000 mph). This velocity is critical for research because it means even small objects generate massive kinetic energy and atmospheric shockwaves upon entry.

During the early morning hours of November 14, observers across the South Pacific reported multiple bright fireballs. One specific report from a NASA-affiliated team noted a "significant bolide" over the Pacific Rim around the time the whales would have been approaching the coast.

Seismic Quietude vs. Atmospheric Noise: GeoNet records for the Auckland region on November 13–14 show no significant tectonic earthquakes. This is important, as it eliminates "ground-up" seismic confusion and points toward an "air-down" acoustic event (like an airburst).

The absence of seismic activity (earthquakes) on the morning of November 14, 2003, points toward an external trigger. Given the peak of the high-velocity Leonid bolides and the reported fireball activity in the South Pacific that morning, the hypothesis that an atmospheric airburst disrupted this bachelor pod’s navigation remains compelling.

To add to the above are the two airbursts in the region that also contributed to strandings.

2003, November 1. Tasmania, SW of island in Southern Ocean. Airburst. Time 14:09. (-51.4 S, 151.7 E). Blast force 213,000 kg of TNT.

2003, November 10. Off the coast of Antarctica. Airburst. Time 13:54, (64.5 S, 136.2 E). Blast force equivalent to 1,300,000 kg of TNT.

Resulting stranding events.

2003, November 18. Tasmania, Point Hibbs. A remote location south of Strahan. A mass stranding of 110 Black Dolphins (pilot whales) and 10 bottlenose dolphins die. They had been dead for several days before this finding date. Discovered by an abalone diver.

2003, November 28. Tasmania, Arthurs Bay near Whitemark, Flinders Island. A mass stranding of 10 Cachalots (Sperm Whales). Died 9; Survived 1. The lone survivor was found 200 meters off shore in good condition considering the predicament it found itself in.