- ARION confirmed a mass stranding of Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) on the southeastern coast of Crete.
- Four whales were found: three already dead, and one alive that later did not survive.
- Veterinarians, biologists from HCMR, and the Coast Guard are conducting necropsies and sampling.
- Authorities are investigating possible causes behind the incident.
- Citizens are advised to keep away from the animals for health reasons and to rely only on official sources.
What Happened on Crete’s Southeastern Shores
The marine mammal rescue organization ARION announced that a mass stranding of Cuvier’s beaked whales is unfolding on the shores of southeastern Crete. Teams from ARION, along with veterinarians, biologists from the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), members of the Cetacean Stranding Network, and officers of the Hellenic Coast Guard, rushed to the sites early in the morning.
Four whales were found in total: three already dead and one alive, which unfortunately did not survive after stranding.
Investigations Underway
Veterinarians are now performing necropsies and collecting samples to determine the precise causes of death. Additional analyses will be conducted in collaboration with relevant ministries to investigate potential contributing factors to this unusual stranding event.
ARION has stressed that further updates will be released once test results are available. Until then, the public is urged to remain calm, avoid approaching the animals for health and safety reasons, and to rely only on official sources of information.
Public Guidance
- Keep clear of stranded whales — for your safety and to avoid interfering with scientific work.
- In case of observing new strandings, please contact the nearest port authority and ARION immediately.
- Avoid spreading unverified information; official updates will follow as the investigation progresses.
Why Beaked Whales Strand
The tragedy of Cuvier’s beaked whales on Crete’s shores does not exist in a vacuum. Around the world, mass strandings of this species have been repeatedly linked to human activity, especially the use of mid-frequency active (MFA) sonar during naval exercises.
Beaked whales are deep-diving mammals, among the most extreme divers in the animal kingdom. They descend thousands of meters in search of squid, navigating pressure changes that would crush most creatures. Their survival depends on finely tuned physiology and careful ascent. Yet loud, pulsing sonar interrupts this balance.
How Sonar Harms Them
- Disrupted dives: When hit by powerful sonar pulses, whales abandon their normal deep-diving rhythm.
- Panic and rapid ascent: Startled, they rush to the surface far too quickly.
- Decompression sickness: The sudden rise causes nitrogen to saturate their blood and tissues, producing the bends — the same life-threatening condition faced by human divers who surface too fast.
- Internal injury: The result is gas bubbles, fat embolisms, hemorrhaging, and brain and ear trauma, leaving them too damaged to survive once they reach the shallows.
Documented Incidents
- Greece, 1996: A mass stranding occurred off the Hellenic coast immediately following NATO exercises with mid-frequency sonar. It was one of the earliest warnings that whales were suffering.
- Bahamas, 2000: Several U.S. Navy warships were using sonar when beaked whales stranded alive along local shores.
- Canary Islands, 2004: A large stranding of Cuvier’s beaked whales coincided with NATO naval drills, cementing the scientific link between sonar and mortality.
A Species at Risk
Cuvier’s beaked whales are especially sensitive to noise pollution. Unlike dolphins or humpback whales, which may recover after disturbance, beaked whales cannot afford disruptions: their diving cycle is easily upset, and their physiology leaves them highly vulnerable to sonar-induced decompression injuries.
Although illness, toxins, or pollution may also play a role, the scientific record is strong: sonar is a well-documented trigger for strandings, one that repeatedly drives these deep-ocean animals onto beaches, often to their death.
For Crete, the loss of these whales is not only a local ecological blow but also part of a troubling global pattern — one where the most mysterious of marine mammals are paying the highest price for the noise of human activity.