Airburst in Central Pacific and Pygmy Sperm Whale strands in New Zealand

2026, January 31. Equatorial Central Pacific, 470km NE of Howland Island. Airburst: (4.1N, 173.4W). Time: 18:07UT. Altitude: 32 km. Energy: e = 3.6e10, -e = 0.12kt or 120,000 kg/TNT. Velocity: NA. Second airburst of the year.

2026, February 3. New Zealand, W North Island, Kawhia, Ocean Beach. Pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) calf stranded and refloated. Unlikely to survive.

Australia and New Zealand cetacean and meteor activity in May

2025, May 12. New Zealand, inland North Island between Rotorua and Taupo. Seen at Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Waikato and Wellington in locations 440km apart. Fireball. Time: around 07:57 UT. Travelling west to east.

2025, May 18. New Zealand, North Island, Waiheke, Onetangi Beach. Dead Pygmy Cachalot.

2025, May 19. Tasmania, Hobart. Fireball. Time: Around 20:32. Looking towards the west/south west. Duration: 6 sec.

2025, May 19. South Australia, Largs Bay. A dolphin calf washed ashore dead.

2025, May 21. New Zealand, North Island. Small Fireball. Time: 22:38. Travelling west to east over water between the mainland and Rangitoto Island north of Auckland.

2025, May 21. New Zealand, South Island, Westport, Carters Beach. Dead Pygmy Sperm whale.

2025, May 30. New Zealand, North Island, north of Auckland. Fireball. Seen in Waikato Region. Travelling SSW. Time: 21:42NZST and around 09:27 UT.

Vietnam strandings within days of each other

2025, April 1. Vietnam, East Vietnam Sea, Dong Hoi City, Quang Binh Province, Hai Thanh Ward, along Nhat Le Beach. Pygmy sperm whale. The whale measured approximately 1.1 meters in length and weighed about 15 kilograms.

2025, April 2. Vietnam, East Vietnam Sea, Dong Hoi City, Quang Binh Provincee, Bao Ninh Commun. stranding within two days. Pygmy sperm whale. 

The whales were both given traditional burial rites. Officials stated that the strandings were highly unusual and may have come from the same pod, and some disturbance at sea had occurred.

 Photo: Quoc Nam

Meteor in New Zealand and dead Pygmy whale in Mexico. Update: Meteor 16:00 N.Z. Update: 17:00 North Sea

Update: Second significant fireball event in New Zealand since the March 13 meteor impact. This event could produce marine animal disturbance.

Local time: 6:35. See the image below. Explosion, shockwave and tremor. It was seen, heard and felt over a distance of 500km.

“It felt like an earthquake, followed by a shockwave”, “I didn’t see the fireball - but felt the explosion and shockwave, it was the loudest explosion we have ever heard, felt the earth move … and there was a sudden weird wind momentarily straight after the event.”  

Meteor shoots across New Zealand skies, sparks Fireballs Aotearoa plea for footage - NZ Herald

Laurie Jane Palmer captured the smoke trail from the meteor above Ōtaki on the Kapiti Coast last night. Photo / Laurie Jane Painter via Facebook  

2024, March 29. New Zealand, Manawatū-Whanganui, Marlborough, Taranaki, Waikato and Wellington. Time 05:42 UT. North Island, west coast, travelling west. The object fragmented and there was a report of a sonic boom.

American Meteor Society (amsmeteors.org)

Map – Fireballs Aotearoa

Update: 2024, March 27. England and Scotland. North Sea. Large Meteor. Time: Around 23:19 UT. Traveling S.W.

2024, March 28. Mexico, Cancun Beach. Pygmy sperm whale strands and dies.

A fourth whale strands and dies in North Carolina, and what is happening in Florida?

A fourth whale washed ashore on Nags Head next to Jeanette’s Pier in the USA on March 8. A baby Pygmy Sperm whale.

Baby sperm whale washes ashore in Nags Head; fourth whale in region | WAVY.com

Interesting footnote: In Florida - 2024, February 19 (and the following week). 27 Pelicans with broken wings found in Florida. 24 were euthanized. Florida Wildlife Hospital puts out an alert on February 25 concerning this matter. All birds had the same kind of fracture. Between the period of the 1st and the 8th of February, there was a stream of meteors accompanied by whale strandings. There was heavy meteor activity along the East Coast over the last two months. A malicious event or accident could have occurred however a natural event should be taken into account.

Questions I will investigate further: Do birds have only one broken wing? How many birds were found dead, if any? How many birds are located that seem concussed or "drunk" if any? Over what distance are the birds being found? 

‘Unusual situation’: Brevard County wildlife hospital takes in 20 pelicans with broken wings (msn.com)