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Cyprus investigates washed-up dead whales; earthquake connection possible

Authorities said on Friday that a number of whales washed up dead on Cyprus’s northern shores, possibly as a result of this week’s massive earthquakes in neighbouring Turkey and Syria.

 

Six beaked whales were discovered dead on Friday, while a pod of four was discovered beached on Thursday, according to the Cyprus department of fisheries and marine research.

 

According to a statement, three of the four from Thursday were guided back to sea, while the fourth died. It was unclear whether the dead pod discovered on Friday included the whales returned to the sea on Thursday, according to the report.

 

‘These animals have an echolocation system that is affected by sea noise; it could be military exercises, seismic drills, or naturally the earthquake in the region,’ said Yiannis Ioannou of Sigma TV’s fisheries and marine research department.

 

The whale was identified as ziphius cavirostris, also known as Cuvier’s beaked whale. It is uncommon offshore Cyprus.

 

The whales were discovered in a relatively small area of Cyprus’s northern coastline controlled by the island’s internationally recognised government. A breakaway Turkish Cypriot state controls the majority of the coastline.

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