List of sperm whale strandings

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Strandings of sperm whales have occurred across much of their global range. About 60 per cent of the world's recorded sperm whale strandings occur in three regions - Tasmania, New Zealand and the North Sea.[1] 132 strandings of sperm whales were recorded around the coast of the United Kingdom (mostly in Scotland) between 1990 and 2011.[2] The list below is in reverse chronological order and is not exhaustive.

Year Date Country Location No. of whales Died Survived Notes
2016 May 16 Egypt Egypt Marsa Matrouh 1 1 0 15m long, estimated weight of 30 tonnes. Discovered dead. Samples have been taken before the carcass had been buried. The skeleton will be moved to Valley of The Whales where it will be put on display. [3]
2016 May 5 Iceland Iceland Dalvík 1 1 0 12m long. Discovered dead, carcass is good condition.[4]
2016 February 4 United KingdomUK Hunstanton beach, England 1 1 0 Male, estimated 25-30 tonnes, 14 metres long. Found in the morning, died in the evening.[5] Considered part of the "North Sea pod" strandings, aggregated in below record.[6]
2016 February 2 Germany Germany Friedrichskoog 8 8 0 Male. Considered part of the "North Sea pod" strandings, aggregated in below record.[6][7]
2016 January 9 - February 5 Germany; Netherlands; England Multiple locations 29 29 0 Multiple strandings around the North Sea of a pod of young males over 27 days and in three countries.[8][9] Some of the animals' stomachs contained large quantities of plastic items.[10]
2016 January 12 NetherlandsNetherlands Texel 5 5 0 Whales were discovered alive in the afternoon, but died overnight.[11] Considered part of the "North Sea pod" strandings, aggregated in above record.[6]
2015 November 15 AustraliaAustralia Salmon Rocks, near Cape Conran, Victoria 1 1 0 [12][13]
2015 October 15 Taiwan Taiwan Tongshi 1 1 0 Found stranded near Tingshi. Refloated, alive. Rediscovered three days later, deceased, 20 kilometres distant. Necropsy revealed various marine debris in the animal's stomach.[14]
2015 September 21 Iceland Iceland Skógasandur, Sólheimasandur 1 1 0 15m long bull carcass washed ashore on private property. Lower jaw was kept by the property owner.[15][16]
2015 July 10 SingaporeSingapore off Jurong Island 1 1 0 Found deceased, floating near tanker terminal. Possible ship strike.[17]
2015 April 15 United StatesUSA Pacifica, California 1 1 0 Carcass washed ashore.[18]
2014 December 17 United KingdomUK near Inver Beach, Easter Ross, Scotland 1 1 0 Discovered dead within the Tain Air Weapons Range complex. Scientists responded the following day. 50 ft long.[19]
2014 December 15 GuyanaGuyana Kitty, Georgetown 1 1 0 Became entangled in fisherman's net day prior to stranding then disappeared. Stranded the following day with pieces of net found in its mouth. Male. 45 ft long.[20]
2014 December 8 AustraliaAustralia Ardrossan, South Australia 8 7 1 One whale showed possible evidence of propeller wounds, all were female.[21] Another was found distant from the group in 1.5 m water near Port Vincent and was successfully shepherded out to sea[22]
2014 December 3 India India Kelua river mouth, Astarang, Odisha 1 1 0 32 ft long.[23] Estimated to be 75 years old. Large scar over right eye indicative of ship-strike.[24]
2014 November 24 New Zealand New Zealand Rototai Beach, Golden Bay 3 3 0 3 Found dead, towed to sea for disposal[25]
2014 October 13 PhilippinesPhilippines Barangay Lingsat, San Fernando City, La Union 1 1 0 9.5 metre long, 10-ton female washed ashore, died and was buried locally.[26]
2014 October IcelandIceland Breiðdalsvík, East Iceland 1 1 0 Teeth cleaned and kept, body burned.[27]
2014 May 1 CanadaCanada Cape St George, Newfoundland 1 1 0 Found dead, one of four found in the area in a month. Town attempted sale on eBay[28]
2014 April 6 CanadaCanada Southeastern Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland 1 1 0 Found dead, one of four found in the area in a month[29]
2014 April 6 CanadaCanada Trepassey, Newfoundland 1 1 0 Found dead, one of four found in the area in a month[30]
2014 April 5 CanadaCanada Biscay Bay, Newfoundland 1 1 0 Found dead, one of four found in the area in a month[31]
2014 January 11 United KingdomUK Portobello beach, Edinburgh, Scotland 1 1 0 Taken to a landfill site for necropsy.[32]
2014 January 11 UruguayUruguay Carrasco beach, Montevideo, Uruguay 1 1 0 Male. Carcass was lifted by crane and buried.[33]
2014 January 10 United StatesUSA Boca Raton, Palm Beach, Florida 1 1 0 Washed ashore partly decomposed. Possibly the same whale found beached in the Florida Keys on Jan. 4 (which was necropsied and refloated).[34]
2013 October 31 United StatesUSA Madeira Beach, Florida 1 1 0 Euthanased, near St John's Pass, looked malnourished[35]
2013 July 13 United StatesUSA Turtle Cove, Yona, Guam 1 1 0 35 ft male, likely died at sea, body washed up on reef.[36]
2013 June 27 United StatesUSA Chetco Point, Brookings Harbor, Curry, Oregon 1 1 0 40 ft long. Washed up already badly decomposed.[37]
2013 June 1 New Zealand New Zealand beach at end of Serpentine Rd, Serpentine Beach, West coast 1 1 0 Male.[38] Three other individuals of different species stranded in area within 2 days- others were pygmy sperm, long-finned pilot and Cuvier's beaked whales.[39]
2012 December 5 Australia Australia Younghusband Peninsula, South Australia 1 1 0 4.7m long female. Washed up dead.[40]
2012 November 18 Australia Australia Waitpinga Cliffs, Victor Harbor, South Australia 1 1 0 Washed up dead.[41]
2012 August 14 United StatesUSA Hulls Cove, Bar Harbor, Maine 1 1 0 Found floating near Schoodic Point. Towed ashore for necropsy and collection by museum.[42]
2012 March United KingdomUK Skegness Beach 1 1 0 Cause of death believed to be ship strike. Animal was 50 ft long, had a gash down one side and was believed to have died at sea.[43]
2012 February 8 Belgium Belgium 1 1 0 Was alive when beached, died shortly thereafter.[44]
2012 February Tunisia Tunisian Republic Sidi Daoud beach 1 1 0 12 m long, 15-tonnes[45]
2011 September 12 Australia Australia Ocean Beach and Macquarie Harbour, Strahan, Tasmania 20 Pod discovered on Ocean Beach near Strahan. Nearby, rescuers attempted to free eight sperm whales stranded on a sand bar in Macquarie Harbour, about four kilometres south of the beach.[46]
2011 June 1 (reported) United KingdomUK Redcar beach, Cleveland 1 1 0 Stranded and died ashore. 44 ft long. Male.[47]
2011 March 11 United KingdomUK Thanet, Kent 1 1 0 45 ft long.[48]
2009 January 23 Australia Australia Perkins Island, Tasmania 50 50 0 Eight were alive at first assessment.[49] No survivors, rescue confounded by shallow water, inaccessible location for machinery and sheer number of dead or dying whales.[1]
2007 August 12 Australia Australia Between Pelican Point and Blackfellows Caves, South Australia 1 1 0 Large gash on animal's back strongly suggest it had been involved in a ship collision.[50]
2006 October 25 Australia Australia One Mile Beach, east of Hopetoun, Western Australia 1 1 0 Washed ashore, already dead.[51]
2006 October 24 Australia Australia Bremer Bay, Western Australia 5 5 0 Died after beaching themselves. One whale was 20 m away from the others. Sizes ranged from 9.7 m to 12.5 m.[52]
2006 August Australia Australia Newcastle, New South Wales 1 1 0 Washed ashore dead bearing deep cuts believed caused by propeller strike from a large commercial vessel.[53]
2006 August New Zealand New Zealand Port Waikato 1 1 0 Juvenile female sperm whale (7.2m) with visible injuries inflicted from by fishing line entanglement. Washed up dead.[54]
2006 June 1 Tunisia Tunisian Republic Bizerte, Cap Zbib 1 1 0 16 m male.[55]
2005 December 13 Tunisia Tunisian Republic Tabarka 1 1 0 7.6 m partial body found. Female.[55]
2005 March 7 Republic of Ireland Ireland Belgooly Creek, Kinsale, Cork 1 1 0 14 m male found decomposed.[56]
2005 February 22 United Kingdom UK Fair Head, Antrim, Northern Ireland 1 1 0 15 m male found decomposed.[56]
2005 February 7 United Kingdom UK Garron Point, Antrim, Northern Ireland 1 1 0 11 m male found decomposed.[56]
2005 January 17 Republic of Ireland Ireland Long Strand, Castlefreke, Cork 1 1 0 10 m male found decomposed.[56]
2004 June 16 Australia Australia Ocean Beach and Macquarie Harbour, Strahan, Tasmania 5 4 1 Four sperm whales found dead on Ocean Beach. Another, thought to be from same pod was rescued after becoming stranded in Macquarie Harbour at Strahan.[57]
2003 November 30 Australia Australia Arthurs Bay, Flinders Island, Tasmania 10 9 1 [57]
2003 September 25 Australia Australia Doubtful Island Bay, near Bremer Bay, Western Australia 9 9 0 All badly gashed, at least 6 were dead at time of first inspection. Were neither rescued nor euthanased.[58]
2003 New Zealand New Zealand Karekare beach, West Auckland 12 [59]
1995 January NetherlandsNetherlands Scheveningen 3 3 0 [60]
1994 November Belgium Belgium Koksijde/Nieuwpoort 4 4 0 [60]
1994 October 29 New Zealand New Zealand Muriwai Beach, Auckland 72 [61]
1991 December Denmark Denmark Fanø 3 3 0 [60]
1989 September 2 United StatesUSA West of Sabine Pass, Galveston, Texas 1 1 0 3 week old calf, found stranded in surf and taken into care at Sea-Arama aquarium. Suffered a "pneumonia-like" lung infection and died a week after being discovered.[62]
1984 February 9 Australia Australia Perkins Bay, Stanley,Tasmania 8 8 0 [63]
1984 January NetherlandsNetherlands Henne, Strand 2 2 0 [60]
1983 April 19 Australia Australia Prion Beach, south coast, Tasmania 1 1 0 Single dead animal approx 25 ft long, rolling in surf. Said to be 'nearly white' in colour.[64]
1983 January 14 Australia Australia Temma, west coast, Tasmania 1 1 0 Single adult female washed up dead. Adult female 11.1 m long.[64]
1982 October Australia Australia Ringarooma Bay, Tasmania 1 1 0 Putrid carcass found weeks after stranding.[64]
1982 February 9 Australia Australia Perkins Bay, Stanley, Tasmania 9 5 4 Nine animals observed swimming offshore, 1 hour before the second lowest spring ebb tide for February. Stranded later, four refloated after midnight. Five females remained, all were dead the next evening. Lengths ranged from 10.4 to 11.25 m.[64]
1982 January 26 Australia Australia Ocean Beach, Strahan, Tasmania 14 14 0 Carcasses were found already decomposing. one female had aborted or evulsed a 3.96 m male foetus. 3 males, 11 females. Largest male was 14.3 m, largest female was 11.65 m long.[64]
1982 January 23 Australia Australia Perkins Bay, Stanley, Tasmania 1 1 0 Adult female 10.6m long. Next day it evulsed a 4.1 m male calf.[64]
1981 September 25 Australia Australia Fotheringate Bay, Flinders Island, Tasmania 2 2 0 Two mature males, 16m and 16.2m. Had been dead for about 2 weeks. In advanced stage of decomposition.[64]
1981 January 15 Australia Australia Macquarie Harbour, Strahan, Tasmania 26 17 8 Nine animals returned to deep water, five voluntarily and four with assistance. One later restranded and died.[64]
1980 March Australia Australia South of Trial Harbour, Tasmania 3 3 0 Decomposing corpses of three animals.[64]
1979 June 16 United StatesUSA Siuslaw River, Oregon 41 Event detailed in scientific paper.[65]
1979 February 1 Mexico Mexico Isla del Espiritu Santo 1 14.39 m male.[66]
1979 January 1 Mexico Mexico San Bruno, 15 km north of Mulege, Baja California Sur 56 38 males, 9 females, 3 aborted fetuses (none of which appeared to be full term), 9 of undetermined sex.[66][67]
1978 August 29 Australia Australia Settlement Beach, Flinders Island, Tasmania 1 Single large animal.[64]
1978 July Mexico Mexico Isla San José, Baja California Sur 1 11 m long. Sex undetermined.[66]
1976 September 30 United StatesUSA Samoa Peninsula 1.6 km north of the entrance to Humboldt Bay, California 1 1 0 Decomposition prevented sex determination. A prominent dorsal hump and seven distinct knuckles or crenulations extended posteriorly down the back. Numerous crescent-shaped shark wounds were evident along the venter, back, and tailstock.
1975 July United StatesUSA Humboldt Bay, California 1 1 0 Adult female, found floating in bay. Towed to sea for disposal. Washed ashore 4.8 km south of Humboldt Bay.
1975 Australia Australia Patriarchs Inlet, Flinders Island, Tasmania 3 3 0 Remains of three animals.[64]
1973 September 1 Mexico Mexico Huatabampito, Sonora 17 Sex not determined.[66]
1973 July 30 United StatesUSA Shelter Cove, Humboldt, California 1 1 0 10.2 n long. Badly decomposed, sex undetermined.
1972 Australia Australia Strahan, Tasmania 27 Rescue attempts were made[68]
1970 June 26 United StatesUSA Agate Beach, 1.0 km north of Patricks Point State Park, California 1 1 0 Adult male.
1970 March 17 New Zealand New Zealand Wainui Beach, Gisborne 59 Combination of males, females and their young. Detailed account online.[61]
1954 December 28 Mexico Mexico San Felipe, Baja California Norte 1 13 m male.[66]
1954 July 14 Australia Australia Middleton Beach, Albany, Western Australia 1 13 ft long, calf.[69] Alive when first sighted.[70]
1954 January 16 Mexico Mexico La Paz, Baja California Sur 22 All bulls.[66]
1953 December 12 Australia Australia mouth of Pioneer River, Brisbane, Queensland 1 1 0 50 ft long.[71]
1953 July 15 Australia Australia Tallow Beach, Byron Bay, New South Wales 1 38 ft long, 25 ft circumference.[72]
1953 April 12 Mexico Mexico Cabo Tepoca, Sonora 9 All bulls.[66]
1953 February 19 New Zealand New Zealand Maukau harbor, Auckland 1 1 0 Stranded on mudbank. Auckland War Memorial museum sought to obtain the skeleton.[73]
1949 December Denmark Denmark Wadden Sea 5 5 0 [60]
1937 July France France Dunkerque 2 2 0 [60]
1937 February Netherlands Netherlands Terneuzen 2 2 0 [60]
1936 March 8 Australia Australia Stanley, Tasmania 1 1 0 48 ft long. Claimed for 'salvage' by Captain W.E. Leggett.[74] Attempted to dispose away from settled areas towing the carcass behind a tugboat[75]
1935 November 25 Australia Australia West Inlet, Stanley, Tasmania 1 1 0 23 ft long. Attempted to escape with rising tide but failed[76]
1933 July Australia Australia South of Mandurah, Western Australia 1 1 0 Found dead. Notes of amateur inspection published in newspaper.[77]
1926 December 27 Australia Australia Burleigh Heads, Queensland 1 1 0 Washed ashore dead. Bones purchased and displayed at museum[78]
1913 August ? United KingdomUK Cornwall, England 50 50 0 [79]
1911 March 11 Australia Australia Perkins Island, Duck River, Tasmania 37 37 0 All bulls but one, average length 50 ft.[80][81] The lone female was centrally positioned in the stranded group.[82]
1908 June 13 United StatesUSA Mosquito Inlet, Florida 9 9 0 Stranded on ebb tide. Whalers extracted oil from bodies.[83]
1890 August 21 Australia Australia Bald Hill, Port Wakefield, South Australia 1 1 0 50 ft long, had been dead 'for some time'[84]
1881 November Australia Australia Point Bolingbroke, South Australia 1 1 0 53 ft long.[85] On display at the South Australian Museum.
1770 December Denmark Denmark Hjarnø 2 1 1 [60]
1872 January Australia Australia Lipson Cove, South Australia 1 1 0 Plans were made to 'try out' and sell the oil.[86]
1820 April 17 United StatesUSA New York, USA 1 Single animal stranded near point of Sandy Hook, New York. School had been seen in the vicinity for at least ten days following 14 April.[87]
1765 January Denmark Denmark Bunken Strand 2 2 0 [60]
1762 February United Kingdom UK Norfolk/Essex/Kent, England 12 12 0 [60]
1762 January Netherlands Netherlands Frisian Islands 7-8 7-8 0 [60]
1762 January Germany Germany Scharhörn/Neuwerk 2 2 0 [60]
1757 February Denmark Denmark Fanø 3 3 0 [60]
1753 February United KingdomUK Findhorn, Scotland 3 3 0 [60]
1751 March Germany Germany Oldeoog 2 2 0 [60]
1738 January Germany Germany St Peter/Husum 3-4 3-4 0 [60]
1723 December Germany Germany Neuwerk 21 18 3 [60]
1617 February NetherlandsNetherlands Noordwijk 3+ 1 2+ [60]
1617 January NetherlandsNetherlands Goeree 2 2 0 [60]
1604 November Germany Germany Pellworm 2 2 0 [60]
1577 November NetherlandsNetherlands Ter Heijde 13-14 3 10-11 [60]
1577 July Netherlands/Belgium Schelde 3 3 0 [60]
1572 November Denmark Denmark Skallingen 3 3 0 [60]

References

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