Blainville’s Beaked Whale Found Stranded on Lanzarote Coast

A Blainville’s beaked whale was found stranded on the shoreline at Caleta de Caballo on Monday morning, prompting a coordinated response from local emergency and environmental services.

The animal was discovered after a member of the public alerted authorities to its presence on the island’s northern coast. Environmental officers from the Lanzarote Cabildo, the Lanzarote Volunteer Fire Department, rescue teams and Guardia Civil attended the scene to recover the whale.

Vidal Martín, president and scientific director of the Society for the Study of Cetaceans in the Canary Islands (SECAC), confirmed that a necropsy was carried out later that day to establish the cause of death. The results have not yet been released.

Blainville’s beaked whales are found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide. They are generally elusive animals that live in small social groups, often led by a dominant male. Unlike many other whale species, they are not known for long-distance migrations and tend to remain within the same general area.

Adults can grow to around 4.6 metres in length and weigh as much as one tonne. Although their average lifespan is still unknown, scientists estimate they reach sexual maturity at around nine years of age. Females typically give birth to a single calf measuring about two metres in length and weighing approximately 50 kilograms.