Tsunami Warned Ahead? Belugas Stranded In Kamchatka Hours Before Earthquake Spark Theories: WATCH
Nature works in mysterious ways and, sometimes, might even warn humankind of impending doom. All that it takes to prepare is a keen eye. Well, that's the sense that netizens are getting after a video of five stranded belugas stranded on the shores of Kamchatka, Russia, went viral.
The 8.8 earthquake triggered a tsunami in Russia. Watch the video below:
Did The Ocean Warn Of Russia Earthquake?
The massively viral video shows five belugas, including a calf, stranded on the shore, claimed to be in Kamchatka. The belugas presumably ventured into the shallow waters and failed to swim out as the tide went back. As a result, they were beached.
A few fishermen can be seen keeping the belugas moist with water from the sea as the magnificent creatures squealed for help. The fisherman eventually helped the pearl-white belugas swim back to the ocean as the high tide returned. The incident is claimed to have taken place just a day before the earthquake hit Kamchatka and resulted in a tsunami.
The veracity of the video, however, could not be independently established by ABP Live. In these times of advanced AI-generated imagery, it is hard to separate the fact from fake.
Netizens believe this was a "sign" of the earthquake. "Just yesterday, five beluga whales washed ashore in Kamchatka, Russia, the exact epicentre of today’s record-shattering magnitude 8.8 earthquake. Nature always knows first. This was the warning," said an X user.
"NATURE SCREAMED, WE IGNORED! Five beluga whales beached in Kamchatka, Russia, YESTERDAY ground zero for today's MIND-BLOWING 8.8 earthquake. Animals sense what we can’t. This was their warning," posted another user.
Do Animals Warn Us Of Earthquakes?
Scientific evidence suggests that while there are many reports of animals behaving unusually before earthquakes, the use of animal behaviour as a reliable early warning system remains controversial. Numerous anecdotal accounts — from restless pets to fleeing wildlife — have been documented in earthquake-prone regions globally.
Scientific studies, such as those by the Max Planck Institute, have found that cows, dogs, and sheep equipped with motion sensors displayed increased restlessness hours before earthquakes in Italy, with the effect stronger closer to the epicentre. Some researchers also observed drops in animal activity before major quakes, potentially linked to disturbances in the atmosphere or ionosphere. Some animals believed to display early signs of an earthquake are dogs, certain species of fish, elephants, cows, toads, and cats.
However, comprehensive statistical analyses, including a study published in the 'Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America', found no consistent, statistically significant correlation between abnormal animal behaviour and seismic activity. Scientists caution that what appears as predictive animal behaviour could have other causes and that most reports lack rigorous observation or control conditions.
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