4 Giant Whales Washed Ashore on Japanese Coast After Tsunami Hits Island Nation
A tsunami struck parts of Japan on Wednesday after a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake jolted the Russian Far East earlier in the day.
The massive undersea quake, which occurred off the Russian coast, triggered tsunami waves that reached the Kuril Islands and Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido. As per an AP report, tsunami alerts were also sounded for the coasts of California, Alaska, Hawaii, and even regions as far as New Zealand.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a tsunami wave measuring up to 50 centimetres hit the Ishinomaki port, a key harbour located in Miyagi Prefecture on Japan’s eastern coastline. This was recorded as the tallest wave thus far. Meanwhile, 16 other coastal locations along the Pacific side of Japan registered waves up to 40 centimetres, with the waves travelling southward from Hokkaido to areas just northeast of Tokyo.
Authorities have urged residents in coastal areas to remain cautious, warning that stronger waves might follow.
Amid the ongoing crisis, four giant whales were found washed ashore along Japan’s coastline just hours after the tremors. Videos of the massive whales lying on the beach as waves crashed in and receded were widely shared in the media. BNO News posted visuals showing the whales being pounded by the surf.
NHK World earlier cautioned that tsunami waves are far more powerful than regular ocean waves, noting that even a 50 cm wave can exert a force of up to 200 kilograms.
Sakai Shinichi, a seismologist from the University of Tokyo, told Al Jazeera that tsunamis resulting from major offshore quakes in the past have caused widespread destruction in Japan.
“Historically, massive earthquakes have occurred near the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands, and the resulting tsunami waves have reached Japan with devastating consequences. One such instance was the 1952 earthquake,” Sakai stated.
He further remarked that Wednesday’s earthquake and the subsequent tsunami are quite similar in pattern and intensity to those of 1952. That seismic event—known as the 1952 Severo-Kurilsk earthquake—hit close to Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula in the far eastern region, causing heavy destruction and unleashing a deadly tsunami.
