Date: Sun, 12 May, 1996
Mass Stranding of Ziphius cavirostris in Greece

On Sunday, specimens of Ziphius cavirostris (Cuvier's Beaked Whale) started to strand in the sandy beach of Kyparissiakos gulf (West Peloponnisos, South Ionio Sea, Mediterranean Sea). In the late afternoon, at least 12 individuals had stranded along the coast. Volunteers and local authorities succeded in driving two of them, back to sea. Next morning (13/5/96) two more individuals (probably the individuals assisted during the previous afternoon) came to strand close to the point of their release.

Informed by Greenpeace Hellas, a team of two marine biologists D. Cebrian, A. Na toli, the experienced volunteer L. Papageorgopoulos and Dr. Alexandros Frantzis, arrived in place on the early afternoon of Monday (13/5/96). Although apparently very healthy, During 24 hours they succeded in keeping alive the last individual, who seemed to be strong and healthy. Unfortunately, these efforts were condonned to failure due to the lack of the proper material support but also because of wrong handling by unskilled persons that appeared on Tuesday as "the only authorised persons" to take care of the animal. After destoying the skin of the animal and a new deterioration of the sea conditions, the animal was killed by euthanasia, late in the evening.

The Hellas team examinated 11 of the 12 individuals (8 males, 2 females and 1 uncertain female) and recorded the stranding position of the 12th. The 12 specimen were spread, quite homogeneously, in a total distance of 33 km of coast!!! Starting from the northern point (Zacharo village: 37 28' 60" N - 21 37' 00" E) the distances to the next individ ual were approximately: 4 km, 4.5 km, 7 km, 0.3 km, 1.2 km, 3 km, 5.5 km, 4.5 km, 1.8 km and 1.5 km (last position at Agrili village: 37 10' 50" N - 21 35' 40" E). The total lengths of the 8 male individuals were between 4.40 and 5.20 m and none of them had apparent teeth. However, most of them had typical tooth scars on their skin. The two females were 4.50 m and 4.70 m long and didn't present any tooth scar. Skin and blubber samples were taken from 10 individuals as well as 1 stomach content.

The Ionian Sea presents the greatest depths of the whole Mediterranean Sea (5090 m) as well as depths increasing very steeply close to the hellenic coasts. The above sea area seems to be a good habitat for Ziphius cavirostris, where is considered to be quite frequent, accordingly to stranding data and direct observations. Since 1992, at least 5 Z. cavirostris stranded in the area of Kyparissiakos gulf (3 of them stranded together at the same day). The long sandy beach of the open Kyparissiakos gulf presents the isobaths of 10 and 20 m at a distance of 0.5 and 1 mile from the coast, respectively.



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