The Lebanon/Palestine 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 a Palestinian 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.  

Mysterious mass stranding of orcas in Argentina

The following meteor airburst events occurred between June 3rd, 2024, and September 13th, 2025. The last one was over land; however, it shows how active the atmosphere has been in the region. The map shows airbursts detected by NASA dating back to 2000, a 25-year time frame, indicating that this area has experienced well-above-average events.

2024, June 3. Southern Ocean, South America – Antarctica region. Airburst. Time: 01:13. Coordinates: (63.1S, 53.2W). e = 2.6. -e = 0.092 or 94,000 kg/TNT. Altitude: 60km. Velocity: N.A.

2024, September 23. South Atlantic Ocean. Airburst. Time: 06:37. Coordinates: (45.6S, 31.9W). Energy: e = 5.5, -e = 0.18 or 180,000 kg/TNT. Altitude: 69km. Velocity: N.A.

2024, September 28. Southern Ocean, between South America and Antarctica. Airburst. Coordintes: ( 59.8S, 51.8W). Energy: 0.32kt, or 320,000 kg/TNT. Time: 00:10:19. This was only 374 km N.W from the Airburst on June 3. This event was over 4 times more powerful than the South Africa event on August 25 that caused a sonic boom heard over 160km of coastline.

2024, November 10. Southern Ocean, South America – Antarctica region. Airburst. Time: 16:31. Coordinates: (59.8S, 73.6W). e = 5.7. -e = 0.18 or 180,000 kg/TNT. Altitude: 43km. Velocity: N.A.

2025, September 13. Argentina, Lihuel Calel Department, La Pampa Province. Airburst. Time: 22:26:39UT. 19:24LT. Coordinates: (38.1S,64.8W). Altitude: 25.1 km. Energy: e = 16.7e10, -e = 0.48 or 480,000 kg/TNT. Velocity: 17.8 km/s.  

Kenya and Tanzania cetacean stranding and meteor airburst events in 2016

2016, May 3. Kenya, near Kilifi. A mass stranding of over 100 melon-headed whales. This was one of the largest strandings recorded in Kenya. Unfortunately, many of the whales did not survive despite rescue efforts.

2016, July 5. Indian Ocean, 390km ESE off Somalia coast. Airburst. Energy: 0.44 kt or 440,000 kg/TNT.

2016, September 14. Indian Ocean, Kenya, 470km off the coast. Airburst. Coordinates: (3.5S, 44.6E). e = 240,000 kg/TNT.

2016, October 14. Tanzania in Kilwa. Dead cachalot (sperm whale).

2016, October 19. Kenya, Ngomeni, north of Malindi. Dead cachalot (sperm whale).

2016, October 23. Tanzania, Kizimkazi. Indian Ocean humpback dolphin stranded and died. 

Note:  I will update this with further events. It should also be noted that Somalia has a large section of unmonitored coastline south of Mogadishu.

Proving a link between meteor airbursts and mass whale strandings would be hard but not impossible

It would require coordinated multi-discipline evidence that converges on the same conclusion: (1) an airburst actually happened close enough in time/place to plausibly affect animals; (2) physical/forensic evidence shows the animals sustained injuries or physiological effects consistent with a pressure/shock or electromagnetic event; and (3) other, more likely causes are ruled out. Below, I lay out a practical, step-by-step research program, including the measurements and protocols needed, the statistical approach, logistical/ethical constraints, and a brief checklist of “minimal convincing evidence.” There are other topics not listed below, such as unmonitored coastlines and population densities etc.

High-level research strategy

1. Detect — Build/assemble independent records showing a meteor/bolide/airburst occurred (satellite, infrasound, optical, radar, eyewitness, seismic).

2. Correlate — Show the timing and location of the atmospheric event match the stranding (within a plausible window given propagation and whale behavior).

3. Forensically link — Perform necropsies and environment sampling that produce signatures consistent with airburst effects (e.g., barotrauma-like injuries, ear damage, microdebris).

4. Exclude alternatives — Systematically rule out known stranding causes (acoustic sonar, disease, algal toxins, navigational error, prey movements, geomagnetic anomalies).

5. Replicate — Accumulate multiple independent events with the same convergent evidence to move from anecdote to pattern.

6. Model plausibility — Physically model how an airburst of the observed energy at the observed altitude/distance would transmit shock/noise into the water and what biological effects would be expected.

Concrete measurements & instrumentation you need

• Atmospheric / bolide detection

  • Government infrasound arrays and seismic networks (detect pressure waves).

  • Satellite detections (IR, optical, flash sensors — e.g., US government bolide reports where available).

  • Ground optical meteor networks / fireball cameras and radar if available.

  • Citizen reports, smartphone videos (timestamped), and audio.

• Ocean acoustic & physical monitoring

  • Coastal and deep-water hydrophone recordings (to capture underwater pressure/sonic signatures).

  • Coastal seismic stations (some airbursts couple into the ground).

  • Surface wave and tsunami sensors (to detect any surface impulsive displacement).

• Biological & forensic

  • Rapid, standardized necropsies performed by trained marine mammal pathologists. Key samples/observations: inner ear examination (cochlea — hemorrhage or trauma), lungs (barotrauma, pulmonary hemorrhage), eyes (hemorrhage), gas bubble formation in tissues, soft tissue hemorrhages, organ pathology, toxicology (algae toxins), microbiology (pathogens).

  • Histology of ear and brain tissue to detect blast-type lesions.

  • Stable isotope/diet analysis to check feeding status, and stomach contents to see if prey behavior was a factor.

  • Collection of external materials from bodies/nearby shoreline (micrometeorites, melted-glass spherules, unusual particulates).

• Environmental & oceanographic

  • Bathymetry and coastline slope maps (to assess navigational risk).

  • Local ocean temperature, currents, and prey distribution (fish/krill surveys or acoustic fishery data).

  • Records of local human naval/industrial acoustic sources (sonar, seismic surveys, shipping).

• Tagging / telemetry (where available)

  • Long-term tagged whales can provide pre-event behavior: dive profiles, vocalization changes, heading changes. If a tagged pod shows synchronized behavioral anomaly at the time of a bolide, that would be powerful.

Necropsy protocol (fast, standardized)

Time is critical. A suggested rapid response protocol:

1. Secure scene; photograph and map carcasses and surrounding area.

2. Within 24 hours (fresher is better) perform full necropsy following established marine mammal protocols (e.g., IWC/NOAA guidance). Record gross lesions.

3. Sample and preserve (label + chain of custody): inner ears, brain, lung, spleen, kidney, muscle, stomach contents, blood/serum, ear bones (if needed), and environmental particulates. Freeze portions for later histology, toxicology, genetic testing.

4. Take swabs/samples from skin/blubber surface for particulates.

5. Submit samples to pathology labs and independent labs for histology (ear, brain), gas analysis (embolic gas composition), and trace element/particle analysis (spherules, microtektites, meteoritic composition).

6. Publish/ archive all raw necropsy data publicly for review.

Specific forensic signatures that would support an airburst cause

Look for multiple, converging signatures rather than a single oddity:

• Temporal/spatial coincidence: bolide/airburst detection within minutes–hours and within tens to a few hundreds of kilometers (depending on event strength) of the stranding.

• Blast/pressure injuries: inner ear hemorrhages, pulmonary hemorrhage, gas bubble formation in tissues consistent with rapid pressure change. (These findings could also match sonar-related injuries, so comparative pathology matters.)

• Absence of other causes: negative for algal toxins, no evidence of infectious disease sufficient to kill the pod, no nearby naval sonar or seismic activity that could explain it.

• Physical debris: discovery of meteoritic micro-spherules or high-temperature melt products on animals or immediate coastline that match the bolide composition.

• Acoustic records: hydrophone/infrasound signatures that match a strong near-shore airburst and, ideally, timing that matches behavioral anomalies in tagged whales.

• Behavioral telemetry: tags showing synchronous abrupt surfacing, disorientation, or anomalous dives concurrent with the event.

Statistical & analytical approach

• Case–control design: Compare strandings coincident with detected bolides to a matched set of strandings with no bolide. Assess whether the coincidence rate is greater than random expectation.

• Time-series analyses: Use permutation tests to see if strandings cluster around bolide dates more than expected. Adjust for confounders (season, coastal traffic, sonar exercises).

• Bayesian hierarchical modeling: Combine different evidence streams (probability of bolide occurrence, probability of biological injury given bolide parameters, prior plausibility) to produce posterior probability that airburst caused stranding.

• Forensic likelihood ratio: For each event, compute likelihood of observed forensic/pathology evidence under two models — airburst vs alternative cause (e.g., sonar). A high likelihood ratio in favor of airburst would be compelling.

• Power/sample size: Because strandings are relatively rare and airbursts in the right place/time are rarer, expect to need multiple well-documented events to reach high confidence. Simulations (Monte Carlo) using estimated base rates of airbursts and strandings can help estimate required sample sizes.

Logistics, collaborators & data sources

• Collaborators: marine mammal stranding networks, university marine biology/pathology labs, atmospheric physics groups (meteoritics), infrasound/seismology groups, oceanographers, national space/defense agencies (for satellite bolide data), citizen science networks (fireball cameras).

• Data sharing: set up rapid alerting and data sharing — e.g., if a large fireball is detected near a coast, stranding networks are notified to prepare. Conversely, rapid stranding reports should trigger searches for bolide records.

• Legal/ethical: you cannot intentionally expose animals to harmful blasts; all work must be observational/forensic and follow animal welfare laws.

Challenges & likely confounders

• Similar pathologies: sonar and strong underwater explosions can produce ear/inner-organ injuries similar to a blast from an airburst — differentiating the two requires careful context (presence/absence of sonar records) and possibly micro-pattern differences on histology.

• Signal attenuation: atmospheric shockwaves dissipate quickly and couple into water inefficiently — small/medium airbursts may have negligible marine effects unless very close. Modeling is needed to show physical plausibility.

• Sparse detection coverage: not every airburst is captured by government satellites or infrasound arrays publicly, making negatives ambiguous.

• Rarity of coincident events: obtaining multiple high-quality, independent events may take years.

Minimal convincing evidence (a practical threshold)

For a single event to be considered strong evidence, you’d want:

1. Clear, independently recorded bolide/airburst (satellite/infrasound/optical) close in time and space.

2. Hydrophone/infrasound records showing a pressure transient reaching the ocean at a plausible level.

3. Necropsy findings consistent with rapid pressure/sonic trauma (inner ear hemorrhage, pulmonary lesions) in multiple animals from the same stranding.

4. Negative results for other major causes (toxin, disease, naval sonar).

5. Physical particulates or melt spherules consistent with a bolide found in the environment or on animals (this is optional but would be a strong added signature).

6. Ideally, at least one independent replication (another well-documented stranding + bolide) or behavioral telemetry from tagged whales showing a temporally matched anomalous response.

A practical short plan you could implement now

1. Set up a formal partnership between a stranding network and a meteor/bolide detection group.

2. Create rapid-response SOPs for necropsy + environmental sample collection when a large fireball is reported near a coast (and vice versa).

3. Archive and link datasets (bolide detections, hydrophone archives, satellite reports, stranding necropsy reports, shipping/sonar logs) for retrospective searches.

4. Run retrospective analyses: cross-match historical bolide catalogs with historical mass stranding records for statistical excesses.

5. Model the blast-to-water coupling for a range of bolide energies and distances to produce a dose–response curve (pressure in water vs distance/energy). Compare modeled exposure vs lesion thresholds in mammals.

Final realistic assessment

Proving the theory beyond reasonable doubt will require multiple, multi-modal, independently verified cases where the airburst is recorded, the forensic evidence points to blast/pressure effects, and other causes are ruled out. Because other causes (sonar, disease, navigation, algal toxins) are common and can produce similar injuries, the standard of evidence must be high. Still — with dedicated coordination between stranding networks and meteor/bolide observers, rapid forensic work, and robust statistical analysis, it is scientifically testable.

Marine Animal Disturbance Alert for New Zealand

2025, October 9. New Zealand, Southern Ocean, SE of Stewart Island (Rakiura). Fireball. Duration: 2.5 sec.  

2025, October 10. New Zealand, Dunedin, Clutha District. Fireball. Around 10pm. A bright blue green fireball falling to the south low in the horizon. Break-up of meteoroid.

2025, October 11. New Zealand. Southern Ocean. Fireball. Break up of meteoroid. Approximately 4 hours after the above and larger.  

A Marine Animal Disturbance Alert should be noted for the SE region of the South Island of New Zealand and Stewart Island/Rakiura. Even though no reports yet of sonic booms, the length and duration of the events warrant a watch for cetacean strandings. Will update this post as more information collected. 

2025, October 12. New Zealand, Invercargill, SE of South Island, Awarua Bay east end. Dead Bottlenose dolphin.

Also: 2025, October 7. Scotland. Fireball. Traveling NW over Inverness region. Concurrent and delayed auditory experience.

2025, October 7. UK, SE. Several cities stunned as a green “fireball”. Seen from as far apart as Nottingham in the UK to Bar-le-Duc in France over 640 km apart. Large as the full moon. Concurrent and delayed auditory experience.  

Most Cetacean Strandings Go Unreported

Along the thousands of miles of unmonitored coastlines of the world, there could be graveyards that never get noticed. Researchers from Cornell University conducted an experiment to understand how often stranded dolphins are actually discovered and reported by the public—critical data for marine mammal stranding networks. Scientists placed decoy dolphin carcasses (textile bags filled with sand) around Dauphin Island, Alabama. Each decoy had a phone number tag for public reporting. Deployments occurred during peak tourist season and the off-season, across varied habitats and human activity levels. Only 58% of decoys were found and reported. Discovery rates were lower in less trafficked areas and during the off-season. This suggests that many real strandings may go unreported, skewing mortality estimates. The study helps refine search strategies for stranded animals. It underscores the need for better public awareness and more accurate mortality data to assess environmental threats and conservation needs. When you add to this that for every cetacean found on the shoreline, 20 die at sea, the number that actually do could be much higher than we thought.

New Zealand and Malaysia stranding

2025, October 9. New Zealand, NE North Island, on Northland’s Ripiro Beach. A female cachalot (sperm whale) died. It comes after the two fireballs in the Northland and Auckland regions. One on October 2nd in the Dargaville area and earlier on September 26th in the Auckland region. There was a very bright, green fireball meteor. Travelling WNW over the coast.

Also: 2025, October 6. Malaysia, Perak, Teluk Senangin. Dead dolphin.

Note; Sonic boom heard in Victoria. 2025, October 8. Victoria, Kyneton Region. Fireball. Time: 11.06pm. Sonic boom. Travelling directly south. Duration: 6 sec. Quite a few heard/felt a bang at 11.05/.06 in Elphinstone, Malmsbury, Kyneton, Carlsruhe. There was another meteor spotted at 9:30.

“A Fairly Large Meteor” in Indonesia.

On Sunday evening, October 5, 2025, a large meteor entered Earth’s atmosphere near Cirebon, West Java. It created a bright fireball and a loud explosion that startled residents across Kuningan and Cirebon. The meteor came in over land from the SW to NE direction. The meteor crashed into the Java Sea between 6:35 PM and 6:39 PM local time. BRIN astronomer Thomas Djamaluddin confirmed the event, explaining the boom was caused by a shockwave as the meteor descended through the atmosphere. It was heard over an area of 700 (km²). BMKG’s seismic sensors detected ground vibrations at the same time. The explosion/boom was also detected at the Public Sonic Boom Observation Station in Bali 700 km away. Residents, especially in Lemahabang, reported seeing the fireball and hearing the blast, which posed no danger. It was described as a "Fairly large meteor". A Marine Animal Disturbance Alert should be noted for the coastal regions of West, Central and associated islands of Java, Indonesia, between Jakarta and Semarang in the Java Sea.

(Beritasatu.com)

Historical meteor events in France and common dolphin deaths

I'm still researching stranding events in France and came across two other large incidents that were notable. These are just preliminary and noted for interest. See September 18th post.

2019, October 13. France. Fireball. A brilliant meteor was spotted in the Eastern part of country at 04:48 UTC. The fireball was seen not only from France but also from parts of Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

2020, December 13. France. Fireball. 115 reports about a meteor fireball seen over Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Baden-Württemberg, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Fribourg, Grand Est, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Piemonte, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rheinland-Pfalz and Vaud. Time: around 16:42 UT.

Histograms & Stranding Maps Scavenging Database: Histograms & Stranding Maps

Marine Animal Disturbance Alert for Northwestern Borneo

2025, October 1. Malaysia, Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan, Malaysia. Fireball. Sonic Boom heard. Sarawak witnesses heard a loud bang following the sighting These sightings were reported by several witnesses across Sarawak, from Bintulu to Miri on the island of Borneo. Loud bangs were heard around Samalaju Bintulu Miri. The meteor was first spotted at around 8.50pm, near the Samalaju industrial area in Malayia 230km south. Travelling NNE towards Brunei Bay, South China Sea. A Marine Animal Disturbance Alert should be noted for the region.

Mass whale stranding in Canada

2025, September 27. Canada, Prince Edward Island, Pituamkek National Park Reserve. Efforts are underway to refloat three large sperm whales that are stranded off western Prince Edward Island's North Shore. The cetaceans stranded on the ocean side of a small chain of islands close to Hardys Channel on Gulf of St. Lawrence side, near East Bideford. Meteor activity in the region includes an event on the 21st west of Quebec City and one on the 22nd on the east coast of Nova Scotia, with both events producing sonic booms.  

Images: DFO

Note: (Southern Hemisphere) There is an active meteor outburst in the constellation of horologium. Next 72 hours. The radiant is near Gamma Horologii.  

Mass strandings in UK and Crete

2025, September 25. Crete, Mediterranean Sea, South Cretan Sea, municipalities of Viannos and Ierapetra, coast of Keratokampos. Report: ARION confirmed a mass stranding of Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) on the coasts of southeastern Crete. Four whales were found: three already dead, and one alive that later did not survive. Update: See below the meteor/fireball on the 13th. 

vianitika.gr  

2025, September 13. Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and Sicilia, Malta region. District. Fireball. Time: 22:45 UT or 00:45 EET. Duration: 3.5s. Seen in Italy - Calabria, and Sicilia Libya - Misrata District. Seen in locations 750km apart. Travelling NE.

Also: 2025, September 22. UK, Cumbrian coast on the Irish Sea, near Silloth. A mass stranding involving four common dolphins – two adults, a juvenile, and a calf. One adult and a calf died next to each other, but the other adult and a juvenile were kept alive by volunteers until the tide came in and refloated.  

80 km of atmospheric fire

I'm glad this didn't happen over water. Satellite image of the meteor explosion over Argentina. 2025, September 13. Argentina, Lihuel Calel Department, La Pampa Province. Airburst. Time: 22:26:39UT. 19:24LT. Coordinates: (38.1S,64.8W). Altitude: 25.1 km. Energy: e = 16.7e10, -e = 0.48 or 480,000 kg/TNT. Velocity: 17.8 km/s. Trajectory east-west with a luminosity trail about 80km long. Seen east at Bahía Blanca, Provincia de Buenos Aires (AR), Witness: “ It was persistent and incandescent, like it got on fire quickly. The train lasted for a while. It was kind of a whiteish explosion and I saw some fragmentation.” Seen 520km south at Puerto Madryn, Chubut Province (AR) Witness: “It exploded very close to the ground, at an extremely fast speed, and the explosion was very, very large. It left a huge trail of fire, and then the smoke remained as a red cloud for more than 10 minutes.”

Image: RAMMB/CIRA in its GOES 19

A dolphin died in Brazil. I'm not linking this to the recent airburst, just keeping a close eye on what's happening. 

2023 bookmark events and cetacean deaths in France

2023, February 13. France, English Channel. Meteor/Meteorites Recovered. A small asteroid called 2023 CX1 entered Earth’s atmosphere and streaked across the skies of Normandy. The meteor produced a shock wave, which was heard by some witnesses and was detected by French seismographs. The event produced a bright fireball and multiple meteorites that were collected on the ground.

2023, February 16 and 25. France, Atlantic Coast. Mass dolphin deaths. 245 cetacean carcasses were identified on the Atlantic coast, with more than 400 dolphins found stranded along the coast, marking an unprecedented number.

2023, April 26. Celtic Sea, North Atlantic. Airburst. Coordinates: (47N, 10.7W). Time: 13:14. Altitude: 29.6 km. Velocity: 16.2. e= 2.4. -e= 0.11 or 110,000 kg/TNT.

France Histograms & Stranding Maps  

Update post on Brazilian Meteor Airburst and comet SWAN25B

Update: 2025, September 9. South Atlantic, 77km off the coast of Brazil in Ceará. Some witnesses reported faint hissing sounds, while others described loud booms comparable to thunder, in one case strong enough to cause ground vibrations.  The event was caught on satellite by NASA. 

Also:

2025, September 13. Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and Sicily, Malta region. Misrata; Misrata District. Fireball. Time: 22:45 UT or 00:45 EET. Duration: 3.5s. Seen in Calabria, Misrata District and Sicilia.

2025, September 10. Mid Pacific Ocean, French Polynesia. Airburst. Time: 11:00:57. Coordinates: (14.8S,142.4W). Altitude: 37.0km. Energy: 2.8e10, -e = 0.098 or 98,000 kg/TNT. Velocity: NA. This is the 26th airburst of 2025.

2025, September 13. (Land-based Event) Argentina, Lihuel Calel Department, La Pampa Province. Airburst. Time: 22:26:39UT. 19:24LT. Coordinates: (38.1S,64.8W). Altitude: 25.1 km. Energy: e = 16.7e10, -e = 0.48 or 480,000 kg/TNT. Velocity: 17.8 km/s. Seen east at Bahía Blanca, Provincia de Buenos Aires (AR), “ It was persistent and incandescent, like it got on fire quickly. The train lasted for a while. It was kind of a whiteish explosion and I saw some fragmentation.” Seen 520km south at Puerto Madryn, Chubut Province (AR) “It exploded very close to the ground, at an extremely fast speed, and the explosion was very very large. It left a huge trail of fire and then the smoke remained as a red cloud for more than 10 minutes.” This is the 27th airburst of 2025.

2025, September 10. USA, North Atlantic. Fireball. Seen in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont on Thursday, Travelling SSW on the coast near Casco Bay, Maine. Time: 20:47EDT.

2025, September 13. USA, Well Fleet, Chipman’s Cove. A mass stranding of 7 dolphins. Out of the 12 in the pod, comprising six males and six females, spanning juvenile, subadult, and adult stages, seven ended up stranded, while others stayed afloat in shallow waters. The rescued animals underwent veterinary care, such as intravenous hydration and comfort measures, enroute to their release point near Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown. The next day, five dolphins were spotted again in the Herring River Gut area of Wellfleet. One had passed away before help arrived, but the four surviving ones were transported and freed into deeper waters off Herring Cove Beach.

Observation Topic: The comet SWAN25B was detected approximately 72 hours ago following its perihelion passage, when it became visible in the night sky. Prior to this, it remained undetected because its trajectory brought it into the inner solar system from the Sun-facing, or daylight, side of the sky. Since solar illumination limits terrestrial observations to the night hemisphere at any given time, the comet’s approach was concealed within the Sun’s glare until its recent emergence. It remains uncertain whether this phenomenon is responsible for the recent increase in meteor airbursts; however, ongoing observations over the coming weeks may provide further insight. Additional atmospheric anomalies, including unexplained explosive events, have been reported within the past week, though these so-called 'ghost events' appear to have been excluded from NASA’s official analyses. Either side of October 5th is likely to be eventful. Comet SWAN25B also shows how unprepared we are for these out-of-the-blue objects when they arrive from Earth's blind spots. 

Meteor Airburst off the coast of Brazil

2025, September 9. South Atlantic, 77km off the coast of Brazil in Ceará. Airburst. Time:17:49:10UT, 14:433 time zones. Coordinates: (2.3S, 39.5W). Altitude: 24.0km. Velocity: 20.72km/sec. Energy: e = 15.3e10, -e = 0.44 or 440,000 kg/TNT. Travelling east. Seen inland as far as 140 km and 216km from event. It displayed properties of concurrent and delayed sound. Given the location on the continental shelf and the substantial energy release, a Marine Animal Disturbance Alert should be issued for the region. This is the 25th airburst of 2025.  

Note of Interest: 2025, September 8. Saudi Arabia, Hail Province, 13km west of An Nimriyah. Airburst. Time: 10:09:15. Coordinates: (26.4N, 42.2E). Altitude: 28.4km. Energy: e = 3.6e10, -e = 0.12 or 120,000 kg/TNT. This is the 24th airburst of 2025.

Mass stranding in Libya

2025, September 4. Libya, Gulf of Sidra, Marir Qabis, the coastal region 35–40 km west of Ajdabiya, the eastern part of the country, Mediterranean Sea. Four large cachalots (sperm whales) washed ashore and died. They are stretched out over a 2 km of sandy coastline.

Update 20250906: A witness stated: “It's common to see whales washed ashore this time of year, but not in this number or species.” The Ministry of Marine Wealth of the Parliament appointed a government team to collect samples from the whales to determine the causes of the unusual event.

Global Meteor Airburst Activity in 2025

On a global scale, meteor airburst activity in 2025 has been comparatively subdued. While localized atmospheric disturbances and cetacean strandings have been documented, the overall frequency of events has declined markedly relative to preceding years. The distribution of activity suggests that the situation, although notable, could have been considerably more severe under different conditions.

The temporal pattern of activity during the current year has been irregular. Elevated activity was recorded at the start of the year, followed by a pronounced decrease. A subsequent short-lived resurgence occurred before levels once again diminished. Spatially, the most active regions have been Northern Europe and the west coast of North America. Of particular interest is a recent airburst detected over Japan, which remains under ongoing investigation. Additionally, an unresolved case off the west coast of northern Africa coincided with cetacean strandings, raising questions about possible atmospheric or geophysical interactions.

As of September 2025, a total of 23 confirmed airbursts have been recorded worldwide. This figure falls below the long-term mean annual frequency of approximately 33 events. Fireball activity has also been comparatively limited, although several highly luminous events (“wow” events) have been observed. The progression of activity in the final four months of 2025 will be critical in determining whether the year’s total aligns with or diverges significantly from the established climatology of meteor airbursts.

In addition, Western Australia has experienced a notable outburst. This region, however, has historically exhibited persistent activity and continues to display a relatively stable background frequency of events.

Cachalot calf dies in Samos

2025, August 31. Greece, island of Samos, North Aegean. Dead cachalot (sperm whale) calf. There was a sonic boom heard in Istanbul and the Aegean Sea region on August 2nd, with the object seen as far south as Crete The second fireball was over the north Thracian Sea coastal area on 20th. Information is limited. The August 2nd event was travelling towards the Black Sea. 

Update: 2025, August 1. Aegean Sea. Fireball. Travelling north. 2025 around 20:27 UT. Local Time: 23:27EEST.

Update 20250902: Another Fireball: Saturday, August 30th 2025, around 18:14 UT. Over the coastal region of Izmir in Turkey, the east Aegean Sea. Reports from Greece and Bulgaria. Traveling east.

Update 20250905: Mediterranean, Ionian Sea. Fireball. Travelling NNW towards the Adriatic Sea. No Sound. Seen in Sicilia and Vlorë County on Tuesday, September 2nd 2025, around 17:59 UT. Local Time: 20:29.

This is not a mass stranding event, however there is a lot of activity in the region, so it could escalate. 

Japan cetacean strandings

There will be further data added to list. 

2025, August 19. Japan, Hokkaido, Urahoro. Species Name: Cachalot. Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Coordinates: Long-Lat: (42.829063N 143.849480E). In a state of advanced decomposition. Body length: ~10m. Sex: Unknown.

2025, August 20. Japan, Hokkaido Hidaka. Species Name: Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus). Coordinates: (Long-Lat: 42.468305N 142.120956E). In a state of advanced decomposition. Body length: 573.5. Sex: M

2025, August 25. Japan, Hokkaido, Tomakomai. Species: Short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus). Coordinates: (42.602420N 141.493814E). In a state of moderate decomposition. Body length: ~2m. Sex: Unknown.

Two Mass Strandings in the Caribbean

2025, August 17 and 18. Antigua and Barbuda, Caribbean. Two mass strandings of Pantropical spotted dolphins. The first occurrence took place on Jolly Beach, on the west side of Antigua, where five Pantropical spotted dolphins attempted to beach themselves several times. The second was in Barbuda 30 miles away. Up to 12 Pantropical spotted dolphins stranded on rocks, some of which were upside down, eventually swam offshore.

Meteor Airburst off the coast of Japan

2025, August 19. Japan. Large Airburst. Time: 14:08:48UT, 23:08 LT. Coordinates: (131.8E, 30.9N). Altitude: 27.5 km. Velocity: 19.624 km/s. Energy: e = 65.8e10 or -e = Impact energy of 1.6 or 1,600,000 kg/TNT. Approximatly 70km NE of Tanegashima Island and 80 km from Japans coastal mainland. Many people in Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures posted on social media that they had seen a ball of light in the sky. The flash was so powerful it lit up Kagoshima City completely, 140 km away, for a few seconds. It was also filmed clearly from Kansi airport 500km to the NE. Eight minutes later, a notable atmospheric pressure wave measuring 12.5 pascals was recorded southeast of Sakurajima, 120km from the event. Seismic instruments also detected ground vibrations. Staff at the local weather office on the opposite side of Kagoshima Bay reported hearing a loud “boom” after opening a window. This is the 23rd airburst recorded this year. A Marine Animal Disturbance Alert should be noted for the coastal regions of SE and Central Japan and surrounding islands. 

What’s Happening in the Waters Between Cape Verde and The Gambia

(From post below) 2025, August 16. Cape Verde, Boa Vista, Praia da Varandinha. A mass stranding of around 40 short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) were found stranded on the sand. Majority died.

2025, August 19. Gambia. Southern coastline of the Gambia is a cause for concern. Authorities have recently discovered 6 dead dolphins and 3 dead sea turtles on the coastline between Gunjur and Kartong village. What caused these deaths is not known. Update: 20250820. Nine dead dolphins have now been found within three days. 

Mass Stranding of pilot whales in Cape Verde

2025, August 16. Cape Verde, Boa Vista, Praia da Varandinha. A mass stranding of around 40 short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) were found stranded on the sand. The majority died. Will update when NASA releases bolide data for region. 

Update of Beaked whale stranding in Sweden after sonic boom

2025, August 5. Denmark, just north of Holbeck over water between Sweden and Denmark. Fireball. Time: It was 19h 17min UT (21h 17min CEST), and the sky was not yet fully dark. A very bright fireball crossed the sky and was reported by more than 80 persons. As the Sun was not far below the horizon, the vapor trail was visible and deformed due to the high altitude winds, which was widely photographed by witnesses. Some people also reported hearing sonic booms, which indicates that the fireball must have descended into the lowest part of the atmosphere.

2025, August 8. Sweden, Åsa in Kungsbacka. Two Common Spitsnuit dolphins (Mesoplodon bidens) also known as Sowerby Beaked whales stranded. They were refloated, however the younger one restranded and died later. The species Sowerby's beaked whale, is rare in Swedish waters. On August Friday 8, two stranded beaked whales were found at Åsa in Halland, Sweden. The Coast Guard helped the whales out into deeper water, but on August Sunday 10, one of the whales was found dead in Frillesås near Kungsbacka, to north), Sweden. The other was also found dead, on Läsö Island in Denmark, which is between Sweden and Denmark on same day. The ones found in Halland were 3.5 and 2.75 meters long, respectively.  

(IMO)

Also: 2025, August 13. Time: around 11h UT (16h VOST) above Vostok station, in central Antarctica (latitude. ~ 78° 27′ 51″ S ; longitude. ~ 106° 50° 14″ E). Fireball. The scientists of the Antarctic Scientific Research Institute (AARI) were able to observe the event and photograph the residual vapour trail, illuminated by the Sun, which was not very low below the horizon, for more than half an hour.

Mass stranding in UK, Sweden has stranding and sonic boom in Australia

2025, August 10 (Could have been dead for some days to a week). Scotland, Orkney, Whitemill Bay. A mass stranding of twenty three long-finned pilot whales, some of them young calves, have been discovered on the shoreline in Sanday. One of the whales was a pregnant female. See July 3rd fireball that created sonic boom. 

2025, August 10. Sweden, Åsa in Kungsbacka. Two Sowerbys stranded. They were refloated; however, the younger one restranded and died later. It comes after the 2025, July 1(See update). Sweden and Finland meteor that created a sonic boom. Although it seems likely that this event could cause strandings, it is more likely due to the July 3rd meteor incident above in Scotland that has caused havoc.

These land-based events give me incredible data on what happens when meteor sonic booms occur. When a relatively small stone can create such a fuss over land, an airburst over water could create a lot of problems for cetaceans. 

Update 20250811: At the moment, there have been several other meteor events sighted over Bass Strait on the night of the main event above. Therefore, a Marine Animal Disturbance Watch should be noted for the coastal regions. 

‘Meteor’ crashes to earth with loud bang & leaves houses shaking after lighting up night sky in Australia | The US Sun

Stranding update: 20250810

This is the last update on single strandings. In the future, I will focus on mass strandings/clusters. Once the data is collected, I will issue MAD's or give a report on events as they unfolded. 

2025, August 8? (week prior). South Africa, near Struisbaai. A newborn Southern right whale calf stranded and died. No clear cause of death was found.

2025, August 7. Scotland, Orkney Westray, at Pierowell. Lone Pilot whale calf in trouble. Still maternally dependent. Outcome unknown.

2025, August 7. Scotland, Calgary, Mull, Argyll And Bute. Harbour Porpoise in an moderate to advanced state of decomposition.

2025, August 7. Scotland, Liniclate, Benbecula, Western Isles. Striped Dolphin. In a state of moderate to advanced decomposition.

2025, August 7. Ireland, Blacksod Bay, Tarmon Beach. Common dolphin rescued. This was the 19th live-stranded dolphin in the bay so far this year.

2025, August 7. Ireland, Helvic, Co. Waterford. Two juvenile Sowerby’s beaked whales live stranded – one male and one female. Both whales did not survive.

2025, August 8. Philippines, Mindanao, Purok 3B, San Vicente Village, Casinglot, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental. A dead dolphin was found in fishing net.

2025, August 08. Scotland, Kames Bay, Millport, Cumbrae, North Ayrshire. A Short-Beaked Common Dolphin in a state of light decomposition.

2025, August 9. Philippines, Romblon, Agmanic, Santa Fe, Tablas Island. A young pilot whale, around 3–4 meters long, was found washed ashore in early morning. Local authorities are now investigating.

2025, August 9. Philippines, Magallanes. A young pilot whale stranded and died.

Thirteen dolphins saved in mass stranding

2025, August 4. Canada, Nova Scotia, Bay of Fundy, Canning Aboiteau mud flats. A mass stranding of 13 Atlantic white-sided dolphins that were caught on tidal egress and rescued.

2025, August 5. Scotland, Fiadhairt, Loch Dunvegan, Skye, Highland. Short-Beaked Common Dolphin in a state of slight decomposition.

2025, August 5. UK, Widemouth Bay, Wanson mouth. Dead dolphin.

2025, August 5. Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. Dead dolphins. Three over three days from August 3 to 5. On August 5, a dead dolphin was found at Primorsko. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in the Black Sea there have been more and more cases of dolphins dying. Reports about this come not only from Russia and Ukraine but also from Turkey, Romania, and other countries. Hundreds of dead animals have been found in the Black Sea and along its coasts since the beginning of the year. In some regions, these figures have already exceeded those of the whole of last year.

2025, August 6. New South Wales, Central Coast, Umina Beach, A male dolphin stranded and died.  

2025, August 6. Svalbard. A dead (small) beluga.

2025, August 6. UK, Hunstanton, Snettisham beach. Sowerbys Beaked whale was found dead.

2025, August 6. Egypt, North Coast village. A male Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) located dead, a species common in Egypt’s territorial waters. It measured approximately two meters in length and had decomposed noticeably.  

Atlantic white-sided dolphins stuck in mud in Canning, Nova Scotia (c) Marine Animal Response Society  

ORCA (Australia)

Minke whale strands days after fireball

2025, August 2. USA, New Jersey, Barnegat Bay near the inlet. A Minke whale, approximately 20 feet in length, was in distress and struck a small vessel in shallow water. It died shortly after. It comes after the 30th July fireball. 2025, July 30. USA, Fireball. Seen in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Travelling SW across the New York/New Jersey Bight.