Mass stranding in UK

2026, September 20. UK, Northumberland, near Warkworth. A mass stranding of ~40 Long-finned black dolphins (pilot whales). They were seen displaying behaviour typical before a stranding event. These are not the same pod seen in the Thames River in previous days. Around 40 whales were guided offshore, but the whales stayed tightly grouped around a large, motionless individual. As darkness fell, herding had to stop for safety reasons. In the morning, initially no whales were sighted, but RSPB staff on Coquet Island reported up to a dozen stranded in extremely difficult rocky terrain. Six whales were located (five ashore, one afloat). Two confirmed dead. Assessments began while more rescue staff and equipment were mobilised. Access to Coquet Island is only possible a few hours around high tide, and no one can remain overnight, creating intense time pressure. Teams tried to refloat the live whales, but treacherous terrain, falling tide, and the animals’ size and strength made it unsafe and unsuccessful. BDMLR teams remain along the coast searching for other pod members who may strand and are prepared to assist any whales still healthy enough to refloat. BDMLR thanked volunteers, RSPB staff, Puffin Cruises for transport, and Civil Air Support for aerial searches. Updates to follow.

A report in from the south of the UK, Dorset, Chesil, is that there are four dead dolphins (species unknown).

Also: Thames Event. A Long-finned black dolphin, a female measuring 4.5 metres, died on Canvey Island. An earlier death was also confirmed, with a female whale measuring around 3 metres found near East Tilbury.  

Image: BDMLR (Coquet Island)

Whales in rivers

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

2026, September 16. USA, California, Sacramento River, near the Rio Vista Bridge, roughly 60 miles upstream from the ocean. A humpback whale was reported. Witnesses spotted the whale around noon Wednesday near the bridge. The humpback’s whereabouts as of Thursday afternoon were not immediately known.

2026, September 16. UK, River Thames. A pod of around 25 Black dolphins (pilot whales) was reportedly spotted near Coalhouse Fort in Tilbury, an extremely unusual event for the area. In the last report, they had exited the river.  

The 2011 Falkland Islands mass stranding events and the South Atlantic Meteor Airburst

In March 2011, the International Monitoring System (IMS) and the SuperDARN radar in the Falkland Islands recorded significant activity in the upper atmosphere. Acoustic Coupling: Data from the Falkland Islands SuperDARN radar (52° S, 59° W) recorded intense "meteor wind" activity in the upper mesosphere during early 2011. This radar is designed to detect the ionized trails of meteors; in the weeks leading up to March 12 stranding below, it showed a high density of these trails over the South Atlantic. Infrasonic "Triggers": Bolides like the March 1 event (See The Big Event below) generate infrasound (sound below 20 Hz) that can travel thousands of kilometers through the AtmoSOFAR channel. This specific frequency range is known to be detectable by cetaceans and has been theorized to cause disorientation or acoustic trauma. Regional Stations: While the Falkland Islands lack a dense seismic network, stations in the South Sandwich Islands and South Georgia recorded "sporadic" low-frequency signals in early March 2011 that did not match standard tectonic earthquake profiles, suggesting atmospheric sources (airbursts).

The Big Event: Large Meteor Airburst. Date/Time: March 1, 2011, approximately 21:00 – 22:00 UTC. Approximate Coordinates: 30.4°S 25.5°W. Location Description: Mid-South Atlantic, roughly midway between the coast of South America and the Tristan da Cunha archipelago. Altitude of Airburst: Estimated between 30 km and 45 km. Energy Release: Calculated at approximately 0.5 to 1.1 kilotons, or 500,000 to 1,100,000 kg/TNT equivalent.

The Strandings: 2011, March 12. Falkland Islands, Speedwell Island (a remote, uninhabited island to the southwest of East Falkland). A mass stranding of an estimated 400 Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas). They counted twice and both times the number was the same. A local sheep farmer, Christopher May, found the pod. He estimated they had been dead for approximately 10 days before he discovered them, which places the actual stranding date around March 2, 2011. Unusually, many of the whales were found dead and "floating" in the shallows rather than just high on the beach, which often indicates they died in the water. The pod included massive adults (20–25 feet) and very small calves (5 feet), confirming it was a complete social unit (a "nursery" or "maternity" pod). Because the island is uninhabited and has no natural land predators, the carcasses remained largely intact, though thousands of giant petrels eventually descended on the site. The unexpected feast provided food for them for several months.

2011, March (Discovered Late March). Falkland Islands, Elephant Beach, East Falkland. A mass stranding of approximately 110 long-finned pilot whales. Connection: This occurred simultaneously with the record-breaking Speedwell Island stranding above just a few miles away. The whale carcasses were estimated to be "3–4 weeks old" when found in late March places their distress signal exactly at the time of that large South Atlantic meteor airburst.

Image: Chris May  

The 1850 "Great Daylight Bolide" and the following whale stranding in India, West Bengal

These two events were so significant that they were recorded by several colonial and scientific observers of the time, including those associated with the Asiatic Society of Bengal, the same group Edward Blyth belonged to that documented the meteor and mass whale stranding below.

1850, February 11. India, West Bengal. A "Great Daylight Bolide." Time of Day: Approximately noon to 1:00 PM. Sightings were recorded in and around Calcutta (Kolkata) and the surrounding districts. The Upper Provinces: Reports came from as far inland as Agra and Delhi. The Indian Ocean: Sailors on ships in the Bay of Bengal and the Northern Indian Ocean also documented the event. The object was noted to move from the SE toward the NW (or in some reports, nearly East to West) and moved inland. It appeared at a very high elevation, crossing the zenith for observers in the central parts of India. Many 19th-century researchers noted that 1850 seemed to be a year where Earth was passing through a particularly dense "stream" of debris. Witnesses described it as a "bluish-white" or "intensely brilliant" object that was visible even against the bright midday sun. One of the most unique features of this event was the persistent "serpentine" smoke trail. High-altitude winds caused the trail to twist, and it remained visible for 15 to 20 minutes after the fireball had vanished. In some locations, it was described as looking like a "winding river" in the sky. Residents across various districts in India reported hearing loud "thundering" sounds and "sharp cracks" several minutes after the visual sighting, indicating the bolide had penetrated deep into the atmosphere and likely fragmented. Linked Event: November 1850. Interestingly, a significant meteorite fall occurred in Shalka, West Bengal. The Shalka Meteorite: This was a rare Diogenite (a type of stony achondrite). While some records list the Shalka fall as occurring in November 1850, there has been historical debate about whether the February 11 bolide dropped fragments that were recovered later or if they were separate events within the same "debris-heavy" year.

1850, July 20. India, West Bengal, Hooghly River. A mass stranding of a large pod of "Black-fish" (pilot whales, now recognized as the Short-finned Pilot Whale Globicephalus indicus). They ascended the river Hooghly and became stranded in the Salt Lakes (shallow, brackish marshes) east of Calcutta (Kolkata). Location: The "Salt Lakes" (now the Salt Lake/Bidhannagar area of Kolkata), which were then brackish tidal marshes connected to the Hooghly River. Number: A pod of dozens of whales ascended the river, with several becoming stranded in the shallow marshes as the tide receded. The "Salt Lakes" (now largely developed as Salt Lake City/Bidhannagar) were historically a complex system of shallow tidal wetlands. For deep-water pilot whales to end up that far inland (roughly 100+ km from the open sea) is extremely rare. The "First" Record: This is often cited by marine biologists as the earliest documented mass stranding of pilot whales in the northern Indian Ocean region. Note: The early 1850s was a period of increased observations of "Black-fish" (pilot whales) in the Northern Indian Ocean, often appearing in unusual locations like shallow tidal estuaries.  

Mass whale stranding in Indonesia

2026, March 10. Indonesia, Rote Island coast in East Nusa Tenggara province. At least 21 of the 55 pilot whales that stranded have died. The whales were found on Monday night at Mbadokai Beach in southwestern Rote Ndao. Some were rescued and guided back to deeper waters, but many died after becoming too weak. Rescue teams from the Kupang National Marine Conservation Center are working to move the remaining whales to safer waters. The cause of the stranding remains unclear, and veterinarians are conducting necropsies as part of the investigation. The smallest whale had a body length of about 2.4 meters, while the largest reached 5.1 meters. At the beginning of the incident, five whales were found dead. However, the number of dead whales continued to increase to 11 and eventually reached 21.

A mass stranding in Nauru, western Pacific

2025, November 9. Nauru, Micronesia, northeast of Australia, Menen on east side of island. A mass stranding of 6 pilot whales. All died and were buried by the authorities. There are reports that fish have also washed ashore. 

Report from Nauru Media News - NTV: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14WjftcFF6S/

Pilot whale stranding in New Zealand

2014, December 2. New Zealand, Golden Bay, Cook Strait. There are 37 long-finned pilot whales stranded at one location. 13 whales have died and 24 remain alive as of 20241203 at 06:30.

It could be linked to a previous event: 2024, November 24. New Zealand, Ruakākā Beach in Northland. Approximately 40 Black Dolphins (Pilot whales) were stranded with the resulting deaths of 4 individuals, two adults, a sub-adult and a calf.

A whale stranding in Golden Bay. (Source: Project Jonah)

Mass stranding of whales in Tasmania

2024, November 3. Tasmania, Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania’s West Coast. Mass stranding of 25 Black Dolphins (Pilot Whales) in Tasmania. Four stranded pilot whales remain on a remote beach in the area, with NRE officers now assessing the situation.  

The whales during the rescue operation. Image / Wayne Mcdermott  

Rescue mission underway after mass whale stranding in Macquarie Harbour - Pulse Tasmania

Black dolphins (Pilot whales) stranded in UK waters Updated: 20241003

Thirty British Divers Marine Life Rescue members are trying to rescue nine pilot whales stranded in the Swale estuary near Sittingbourne off the Kent coast. The pod has become trapped on mudflats. Specialist equipment is being used to get across 1.2km of mud to reach the whales. Near Ferry House. Will give updates later. Update: 20241003. Seven whales have died.

Swale Estuary: Four whales dead after washing up on Kent coast (bbc.com)

Google Maps

The below picture is of a fireball captured during its flight on September 17. It is one of many seen across Europe is the last couple of months. This particuar one was travelling north to south.

Credit Sarah L.  

https://fireball.amsmeteors.org/

Indonesia Airburst and whale stranding Updated: 20240913

2024, September 6. Timor Sea/Indian Ocean. S.W of the Indonesian Island of Sumba. Airburst. Time: 12:36. Coordinates: (-12.9, 118). e = 2.1, -e = 0.076 or 76,000 kg/TNT. Altitude: 27km. Velocity: 22.6 km/s.

2024, September 6. Indonesia, Liliweri, Alor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. A total of 17 pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) were found dead stranded on the coast.

The region is very active this year.

Rainfall during the dry season in Northern Australia and Typhoons in Central Asia is all related to increased meteor activity. Mass whale strandings in the Philippines, Thailand and dozens of other deaths including ones in Taiwan, China, Indonesia and other localities. On May 22. Passenger Flight SQ321 experienced what's been classed as "severe turbulence" while it was over southern Myanmar. One passenger died of a heart attack and 30 more were injured when the Singapore Airlines flight hit severe turbulence.

71 Dolphins strand and die in New Zealand. Update: 20240822 Two fireballs days after stranding

2024, August 19. Chatham Islands, New Zealand, Hanson Bay near Owenga. A total of 71 pilot whales were stranded on a beach in Chatham Islands. All died or were euthanised. The stranding was reported to the Department of Conservation (DoC) around midday on Monday.

Credit: New Zealand Herald

71 pilot whales die after stranding on Chatham Islands beach - NZ Herald

2024, August 19. USA, Virginia. Two dolphins, one in Sandbridge and the other in Chic’s Beach. Both animals were deceased when they were reported. It is unclear what may have killed the dolphins. Postmortem exams and assessments will determine the cause of death.

Update: 2024, August 21. Tasman Sea, New Zealand. Fireball. Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, Manawatū-Whanganui and Taranaki. Time: around 06:34UT, 18:34NZST. Travelling E.S.E towards South Island/Cook Strait region.

2024, August 21. New Zealand, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki and Waikato. Time: 11:30 UT. 2024-08-21 23:30NZST. Traveling S.S.W. S.E of Auckland.

2 dolphins wash ashore in Virginia Beach – Daily Press

2024, August 14. South Africa, south of Durban, Athlone Park. A dead Humpback whale with its stillborn calf protruding through its birth canal, still in its placenta, washed out onto the shore at an Athlone Park beach. The incident happened near the Wavecrest Road flats.

Update: Dead whales wash out onto beach in Athlone Park | South Coast Sun (citizen.co.za)

Mass stranding in Scotland

2024, July 11. Scotland, Orkney, Tresness Beach on the island of Sanday. A pod of 77 Long Finned Black Dolphins (pilot whales) has died. The pod included males up to seven metres (22ft) long and females, calves and juveniles. See July 6 post. 

77 whales dead after 'biggest mass stranding in decades' in Orkney (bbc.com)

2009 South Africa Incident

2009, April 10. Southern Ocean, South of South Africa. Large Airburst. Time: 1842. Coordinates: (-44.7, 25.7). e = 27, -e = 0.73 or equivalent energy of 730,000 kg/TNT. Altitude: 32.4. Velocity: 19.1 km/s.

2009, May 30. South Africa, Kommetjie Beach. 55 Black dolphins (pilot whales) were stranded and died. Of the pod 10 died of stress quickly and the others were euthanized.

Fireballs (nasa.gov)

Airburst in Equatorial South Atlantic - Updated 20240621

2024, June 1. South Atlantic Ocean, Equatorial region. Airburst. Time: 23:24. Coordinates: (-1, -15.9). e = 4.4, -e = 0.15. Altitude: 25.8 km. Velocity: 12.1 km/s. This comes 6 days after the last one to the west that saw a stranding of black dolphins in Brazil. Once they start grouping this way, they become destructive to marine wildlife, with pods of matriarchy cachalots at risk. This airburst is approximately 3x lower than the Portugal airburst and twice as low as the airburst to the N.E of Brazil.

A marine animal disturbance alert for the stranding of whales should be noted for the next three months. The regions include the northern Brazilian coastline (moderate risk). The west coast of Africa (high risk) with the shoreline between Senegal to the north and Ghana in the south estimated as the main stranding location. Ghana has been known for whale strandings with the continental shelf in the Gulf of Guinea a hot spot. This is a popular feeding ground for sperm whales and if injured and in need of easy food will gravitate towards this area.

Fireballs (nasa.gov)

Whale stranding in Western Australia - Updated 20240426 at 15:30. 150 whales saved, well done to the rescuers

See the April 18th post titled: Meteor, Indian Ocean south of Perth, Western Australia.

2024, April 25. Western Australia, Tobys Inlet, between Dunsborough and Busselton, 250km south of Perth. Up to 160 pilot whales. There are four pods of whales spread across 500 metres of beach with another two pods of about 130 animals offshore in the ocean. 26 have already died. 

Final Update: 160 whales beached, 130 whales have been refloated and 28 whales died. Spotter planes are keeping a watch to see if they are staying offshore. The real blessing about this event is they came in during the day, if they had come in late in the night it could have been a real disaster. Sad about the other whales but this is a really good outcome.

2024, April 26. Western Australia, Eagle Bay. 2 Black Dolphins. Linked to above event. A lone Black Dolphin calf has been euthanised. Also Quindalup Beach had been closed while one Black Dolphin that had washed up there overnight was removed.

Authorities respond to mass whale stranding at Toby's Inlet, near Dunsborough in WA (msn.com)

Rescue crews scramble to save pilot whales beached in Marybrook, near Busselton and Dunsborough | The West Australian

Mass stranding of pilot whales at Toby's Inlet near Dunsborough | The Canberra Times | Canberra, ACT

Pilot Whale strands in New Zealand - Search for more. Update later today. Update 22nd of March

2024, March 20. New Zealand, Kaitorete Spit in Canterbury. South of Christchurch, Birdlings Flat Beach, near Lake Ellesmere. Black Dolphin (Pilot Whale). Attempts to refloat it will begin at 1:30pm today at high tide. Authorities are concerned about a larger group coming ashore therefore a search is underway along the coastline. 

Black Dolphin. The whale was euthanised later in the day.

It comes after two large meteors were detected on the 13th. (See post below)

2024, March 13. New Zealand, Canterbury, Otago and Southland. Approximate Time: 08:08 (UTC).

Meteorites recovered.

2024, March 13. Tasman Sea, East of South Island New Zealand. Meteor. (-41.98, 166.00). Time: 14:02 (UTC). Duration: 3.93 seconds.

Whale stranded on Christchurch beach, DOC and rescue team working together | Newshub

2018 Whale Stranding Event at Hamelin Bay in Western Australia caused by Meteor Airburst.

51 days after an airburst off the Western Australian coast 150 short-finned black dolphins were stranded.

Black dolphins or Short-finned pilot whales can travel exceedingly fast, up to 160 km a day. This is extremely rare for them to do. These animals are cheetahs of the sea, and a day at most would see this maintained. If a pod was within 100 - 150 km (conservative estimate) of this airburst the VLT radio waves or concussion results would have an effect. Usually, they travel from 40 to 100 km in a relaxed day. For argument's sake, I will take the bare minimum travel distance. A pod with juveniles travelling at 40 km a day, to travel 1943 km, would take 49 days to reach land at Hamelin Bay if they were slowed down by distress. This is 2 days before the 51-day airburst/stranding time reference.

Note: My research has estimated that electrophonic meteors, VLF radio waves, can admit through the environment well over 200 km away from an airburst incident.

2018, February 1. AIRBURST. Indian Ocean, off the Western Australian coast. (-19.4, 104.3). e = 19, -e = 0.53 or 530,000 kg of TNT. Altitude = 37km. Velocity = 16.5 km/s.

2018, March 23, Western Australia, Hamelin Bay. About 150 Short-Finned Black Dolphins strand at Hamelin Bay, south of Perth. 10Km north of Augusta. Volunteers save 7 individuals.

More than 150 whales strand in Hamelin Bay, Australia - 143 dead bodies only 7 rescued in video and pictures - Strange Sounds

Cetacean Strandings.

The UK Natural History Museum has released all data concerning cetacean strandings from 1913-1989.

Welcome - Data Portal (nhm.ac.uk)

Timeline Update - Included Events

Time Line Update: I've placed in the Dec 2021 and March 30 2022 Airburst events to bookmark how volatile the atmosphere was in this period of ocean. The January Airburst was the 43rd largest recorded by NASA.

2021, December 10. AIRBURST. Time 01:19, (-47.5 S, 172.6 ) Blast force 160,000 kg of TNT. 230Km S.W of Dunedin South Island.

2022, January 11. Southern Ocean. AIRBURST. Time 03:33. Lat 58.4, Long 160.2, e=126.4, -e=2.9. Equivalent to 2,900,000 tons of TNT.

2022, February 13-14. Chatham Islands. 6 Black Dolphins euthanised. They were part of a larger pod of 70 individuals. Thankfully, the majority returned to sea. Note: A good example of injured animals dying quickly breaking the link to the survivors from fighting to restrand because the others are calling them in.

2022, March, 17. New Zealand, South Island, Golden Bay. 31 Black Dolphins. Beached across three kilometres of Farewell Spit on the South Island. Note: This stranding shows a good example of an Airburst concussion-type event. When whales stretch out along a stranding location it is nearly always from an airburst or impact.

2022, March 30. East of New Zealand. AIRBURST. Time 18:19, (-45.9 S, -171.4 W), blast force 73,000 kg of TNT.

Image of a Black Dolphin from a previous stranding.

Philippines short-finned black dolphins strandings

The following continues to show that fracturing the underwater equilibrium is detrimental to the marine environment. The Philippines is going through higher-than-usual stranding activity. The below might (I'm saying it is a coincidence) still be remnants of the 2023, December 16, Meteoroid event in Guam.

2024, January 31. The Philippines. Three short-finned black dolphins and a spinner dolphin were stranded in different coastal towns of the Ilocos region. The two pilot whales that beached on the shorelines of Bacnotan town in La Union province and San Vicente town in nearby Ilocos Sur province were successfully released back to the sea. Another pilot whale found in Paoay town in Ilocos Norte province was also released, but it lingered in the shallow water before it was rescued again. Local fishermen cared for the whale overnight however it died the following morning. The dead whale displayed signs of injuries due to traces of blood in its blowhole.

The Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network suggested blast fishing was the cause. Marine animals washing ashore exhibiting good body conditions might indicate acute factors such as blasting, causing them to lose their acoustic sensors and swim straight until reaching the beach; suggesting that the stranding might be due to disorientation secondary to blast activities.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

Blast fishing eyed in stranding of whales, dolphin in Ilocos | Inquirer News