New Zealand and Iran have baleens strand

2026, September10. New Zealand, Cook Strait. Camera: Tapo facing North and West in Marlborough. Fireball. Time: 21:51. Duration: 5 seconds. I'm waiting for audio data, if any, on this.

2026, September 14. New Zealand, Marlborough coastline, Cloudy Bay, Wairau Bar coastline, near the mouth of the Wairau River. A juvenile pygmy right whale stranded. At the moment, it's not clear if death occurred before beaching.

This is a stranding in Iran. The Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf are at high risk of cetacean fatalities. Upon seeing the dolphin deaths from the Ukraine/Russia war (Black Sea and the Sea of Azov), it's prudent and transparent to collect and share data.

2026, September 13. Iran, near Bandar Charak (Bandar Lengeh County) in the Hormozgan Province. A large furrow whale carcass, initially identified as a Bryde’s whale, has been discovered on the coast. Its cause of death remains unknown as the state of decomposition is advanced. Historically, at least 26 baleen whale events, with nearly half explicitly identified or tentatively verified as Bryde’s whales. Genetic and morphological reviews of historical "Bryde's whale" strandings in Iran revealed that some coastal specimens were actually Omura's whales (Balaenoptera omurai). For example, a juvenile live-stranding at Qeshm Island in September 2007 was initially thought to be a Bryde's whale but was later re-evaluated as an Omura's whale.

Also: 2026, September 14. USA, California. A subadult fin whale floating ~10km offshore. In the first stages of decomposition.

Cetacean strandings since March 1

2025, March 1. New Zealand, east coast. Pygmy sperm whale stranded and refloated; doubts it will survive.

2025, March 3. Scotland, Isle of Raasay. A cachalot (sperm whale) was found dead on shore. The cetacean was spotted entangled in fishing gear off Skye on March 1st and disentangled by rescuers before becoming stranded on a shore nearby.

2025, March 4. USA, New Jersey, Monmouth Beach, near Meadow Avenue. A stranded injured dolphin was rescued from a nearly dry creek bed and was euthanized.

2025, March 4. Ghana, Golf of Guinea, Volta Region, Kedzi. A short-finned pilot whale washed ashore.

2025, March 6. USA, Washington State, Gray's Harbor, Damon Point. Dead dolphin.  

2025, March 6. Canary Islands, coast of Grandes Playas de Corralejo in Fuerteventura. A nearly five-metre-long Cuvier’s beaked whale was discovered stranded. This is the third one recorded in the Canary Islands so far this year. The two previous strandings were earlier in the year, involving a striped dolphin and a common dolphin.

2025, March 6. Mexico, Punta Banda, in front of Villarino. Dead dolphin on beach.

2025, March 6. UK, Salcott, Old Hall Marshes. A 4 to 5 feet long common dolphin washed ashore dead in advanced state of decomposition.

2025, March 6. France, Saint Hilaire-de-Riez in Vendée. A female 8m long humpback dead. The whale was already in an advanced state of decomposition. Assumed death due to the fishing tackle wrapped around her tail.

2025, March 6. New Zealand, east coast South Island. A very small Hector’s dolphin calf was found around 2km off Lyttelton harbour mouth killed by boat propeller strike.

2025, March 7. New Zealand, North Island, east coast, Ngunguru River. Remains of dead whale. Species unknown.

2025, March 7. Scotland, Durness, on the north coast. A mass stranding of 4 striped dolphins. One was dead on discovery the other was euthanised. Two were refloated in a fragile state.

2025, March 7. Thailand, Bangkok, Bang Pu. A fully grown female Bryde’s whale also known as Eden’s, washed ashore dead. It was about eight to nine metres long and weighed about eight tons. It had been dead for at least three days. Its body and head had cut wounds. The cause of its death was assumed to be the impact of being struck by a ship during feeding time.

2025, March 8. USA, Massachusetts, Westport. Dead dolphin.  

UAE reveals study of 7 dead whales

The Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah (EPAA) has completed a study to analyse tissues of 7 dead whales beached in the UAE. A team of researchers conducted necropsies on 5 Bryde’s Whales, 1 Blue Whale, and 1 Humpback Whale.

What study on tissues of 7 dead whales in the UAE reveals | Environment – Gulf News