Seven whales have been found dead on the west coast of Cyprus, authorities said on Saturday, who are trying to understand how these cetaceans could have arrived in the waters of the eastern Mediterranean and washed up on the island.
This is the first time that such a large group of whales has been found stranded on the coast of Cyprus, in an area where these cetaceans are sometimes reported but where their presence is not usual.
These whales belong to the species Ziphius cavirostris, known as Cuvier's beaked whale or goose-beaked whale.
They were discovered on several beaches between the localities of Polis and Pachyammos, in the region of Paphos.
According to the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, four whales were found on Thursday, one of which died while the other three were able to return to sea.
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Then on Friday, six dead whales washed up in the same area, with it not known if among them were the three that had been rescued the day before.
An autopsy was carried out "
to establish the cause of death after six dead whales washed up on the coast north of Paphos
", Fisheries Department official Ioannis Ioannou told the Cyprus News Agency.
According to Ioannis Ioannou, three other whales were found dead on the coast in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a territory in the north of the island recognized only by Ankara.
He added that experts had taken samples for further examination.
Two similar incidents were reported in 2021 and 2022 in Cyprus, but only one whale died each time.