Cyprus probes dead whales washed up on northern shores, earthquake link possible
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Six beached whales were found dead on Friday, while a pod of four were similarly found on Thursday.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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NICOSIA, Cyprus – A number of whales have washed up dead on the northern shores of Cyprus, the authorities said on Friday, possibly affected by the massive earthquakes in neighbouring Turkey and Syria
Six beached whales were found dead on Friday, the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research in Cyprus said.
It added that a pod of four whales were found on Thursday, with three of them guided back to sea, while the fourth died.
It was unclear if the dead pod found on Friday included those whales from Thursday that had been returned to the sea, it said.
“These animals have an echolocation system, which is affected by sea noise; it could be military exercises, seismic drills or naturally the earthquake in the region,” Mr Giannis Ioannou of the fisheries and marine research department told Sigma TV.
The authorities identified the whale as Ziphius cavirostris, more commonly known as Cuvier’s beaked whale. It is not very common in offshore Cyprus.
The whales were found in what is a relatively small part of Cyprus’ northern coastline under the control of the island’s internationally recognised government. The longer part of the coastline is controlled by a breakaway Turkish Cypriot state.
Last Monday’s mega earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which have killed tens of thousands of people, were also felt on the Eastern Mediterranean island. REUTERS
