Beaked Whales Washed Up in Cyprus Linked to Turkey-Syrian Earthquake

A number of whales were washed up on the shores of Cyprus and it probably had something to do with the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.

Beaked Whales Washed Up in Cyprus

A pod of four beaked dolphins was beached Thursday, and another six were found dead on the shores Friday, according to the Cyprus department of fisheries and marine research. The sightings of dolphins on the shore happened after a strong tremor hit two of its neighboring countries, Reuters reported.

Three of the four dolphins spotted Thursday were guided back to sea. Unfortunately, the fourth one did not survive.

It was unclear if the dead pod found the following day included those returned to the sea Thursday.

Yiannis Ioannou of the fisheries and marine research department told Sigma TV that the incident was probably linked to the recent earthquake because beaked whales have an echolocation system and are affected by sea noise like military exercises, seismic drills or naturally occurring earthquakes in the region.

Authorities said the whales found were ziphius cavirostris, which are commonly known as Cuvier's beaked whale. They are not very common in Cyprus.

They are only found in a relatively small part of the country's northern coastline under the control of the island's internationally recognized government.

Turkey-Syrian Earthquake

A strong earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on Feb 6. It was reportedly the strongest tremor since 1939 and thousands were killed after the incident.

According to BBC, the catastrophe killed over 12,000 people from Turkey and Syria. Rescue efforts are still ongoing in both countries as survivors seek food and shelter.

The tremor was reportedly too strong for a strike-slip fault, according to seismologist Susan Hough of the U.S. Geological Survey. She told Science News that an earthquake close to magnitude 8, as was the case last week, is not common on strike-slip faults because they happen on land and tend to be shallow. However, there can also be severe shaking.

The photos from the reports showed how the earthquake left devastating damage in Turkey.

Many buildings collapsed next to each other in Turkey. According to USGS, the effect of the earthquake in the area was worsened because the structures were poorly designed and built.

The buildings were reportedly not constructed using concrete and bricks. They were not strong enough to withstand a strong tremor and prolonged shaking.

Harold Tobin, the director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and a professor at the University of Washington Department of Earth and Space Sciences, said it was a long earthquake, so the energy traveled at a great distance along a fault line. He speculated that it destabilized another fault line.

Since the architecture in the area was not designed with modern seismic standards, it collapsed. Tobin stressed that it's what happens to substandard structures.

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