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. 132 strandings of sperm whales were recorded around the coast of the United Kingdom (mostly in Scotland) between 1990 and 2011. The list below is in reverse chronological order and is not exhaustive. Possible causes of stranding events are mostly speculative and are not reflected in this list.
List YearDateCountryLocationNumbersSize and notesBeachedDiedSurvived2024March 10 United StatesSarasota County, Florida11044-foot (13.4-meter) male. Carcass dragged out to sea.2021June 6 United StatesBay County, Florida11029 ft (9 m) long2020December 24 United KingdomWithernsea, East Yorkshire101002020November 19 United States Mobile Bay, Alabama11010.7m long2018November 23 New ZealandTokerau Beach, Doubtless Bay11015m long.2018November 19 IndonesiaSoutheast Sulawesi1109.5 m long. Stomach contained over 1000 plastic items.2018April SpainMurcia11033 ft long. Underweight. Stomach contained many plastic items.2017December 29 New ZealandMahia Beach, Mahia Peninsula11018m long. Estimated 40–80 years old and weighing 35-40 tonnes. Buried. Claimed whale died of "natural causes", without undertaking necropsy.2017December 3 AustraliaHopetoun, Western Australia110Washed ashore dead and decomposing. First sighted at sea. Estimated weight 45 tonnes. Carcass disposed of by Shire of Ravensthorpe.2017December 1 NetherlandsDomburg, Zeeland11013.5m long adult male. Found dead. Body recovered for necropsy by Utrecht University.2017November 13 IndonesiaAceh10467 were refloated, one returned to shore and died, and the remainder died on the beach.2017March 6 United StatesWarrenton, Oregon (near Peter Iredale shipwreck) 11036 ft long. Washed ashore in advanced stage of decomposition. First spotted floating offshore from Newport on March 2.2016December 3 United StatesSister Lake (Caillou Lake), Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana11023.5 ft long calf. Found dead. Body recovered for necropsy.2016November 21 United StatesSan José Island, Texas11028 ft long calf. Found dead. Body recovered for necropsy.2016October 19 United StatesLittle Florida Beach, Cameron Parish, Louisiana11023 ft long calf. Found dead. Body recovered for necropsy.2016October 18 United StatesLittle Gasparilla Island, Florida11019.5 ft long calf. Found dead. Body recovered for necropsy.2016August 27 United StatesPonce Inlet, Florida11012 ft long. Died 2 hours after attendants arrived. Body recovered for necropsy.2016July 10 United KingdomPerran Beach, Perranporth, Cornwall110Female. Alive at time of discovery. Died while under observation.2016May 16 EgyptMarsa Matrouh11015m long, estimated weight 30 tonnes. Discovered dead. Samples were taken before the carcass was buried. The skeleton will be moved to Valley of The Whales where it will be put on display.2016May 5 IcelandDalvík11012m long. Discovered dead, carcass in good condition.2016February 4 United KingdomHunstanton beach, England110Male, estimated 25–30 tonnes, 14 metres long. Found in the morning, died in the evening. Considered part of the "North Sea pod" strandings, aggregated in below record.2016February 2 GermanyFriedrichskoog880Male. Considered part of the "North Sea pod" strandings, aggregated in record below.2016January 8 – February 25 Denmark France Germany Netherlands United KingdomMultiple locations30300Strandings of immature males at multiple sites around the North Sea in 5 countries over 6 weeks. Some of the animals' stomachs contained large quantities of plastic items, but that was not considered the primary cause of the strandings.2016January 12 NetherlandsTexel550Whales were discovered alive in the afternoon, but died overnight. Considered part of the "North Sea pod" strandings, aggregated in above record.2015November 15 AustraliaSalmon Rocks, near Cape Conran, Victoria1102015October 15 TaiwanTongshi110Found stranded near Tingshi. Refloated, alive. Rediscovered three days later, dead, 20 km distant. Necropsy revealed various marine debris in the animal's stomach.2015September 21 IcelandSkógasandur, Sólheimasandur11015m long bull carcass washed ashore on private property. Lower jaw was kept by the property owner.2015July 10 Singaporeoff Jurong Island110Found dead, floating near tanker terminal. Possible ship strike.2015April 15 United StatesPacifica, California110Carcass washed ashore.2014December 17 United Kingdomnear Inver Beach, Easter Ross, Scotland110Discovered dead within the Tain Air Weapons Range complex. Scientists responded the following day. 50 ft long.2014December 15 GuyanaKitty, Georgetown110Became entangled in fisherman's net day before stranding, then disappeared. Stranded the following day with pieces of net found in its mouth. Male. 45 ft long.2014 December 8 AustraliaArdrossan, South Australia871One whale showed possible evidence of propeller wounds, all were female. Another was found distant from the group in 1.5 m water near Port Vincent and was successfully shepherded out to sea2014December 3 IndiaKelua river mouth, Astarang, Odisha11032 ft long.2014November 24 New ZealandRototai Beach, Golden Bay3303 found dead, towed to sea for disposal2014October 13 PhilippinesBarangay Lingsat, San Fernando City, La Union1109.5 metre long, 10-ton female washed ashore, died and was buried locally.2014October IcelandBreiðdalsvík, East Iceland110Teeth cleaned and kept, body burned.2014September ItalyCentral Adriatic coastline743Four were refloated, three females (one of which was pregnant and carrying a male fetus) died on the shore.2014May 1 CanadaCape St George, Newfoundland110Found dead, one of four found in the area in a month. Town attempted sale on eBay2014April 6 CanadaSoutheastern Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland110Found dead, one of four found in the area in a month2014April 6 CanadaTrepassey, Newfoundland110Found dead, one of four found in the area in a month2014April 5 CanadaBiscay Bay, Newfoundland110Found dead, one of four found in the area in a month2014January 11 United KingdomPortobello beach, Edinburgh, Scotland110Taken to a landfill site for necropsy.2014January 11 UruguayCarrasco beach, Montevideo, Uruguay110Male. Carcass was lifted by crane and buried.2014January 10 United StatesBoca Raton, Palm Beach, Florida110Washed ashore partly decomposed. Possibly the same whale found beached in the Florida Keys on January 4 (which was necropsied and refloated).2013 October 31 United StatesMadeira Beach, Florida110Euthanased, near St John's Pass, looked malnourished 2013July 13 United StatesTurtle Cove, Yona, Guam11035 ft male, likely died at sea, body washed up on reef.2013June 27 United StatesChetco Point, Brookings Harbor, Curry, Oregon11040 ft long. Washed up already badly decomposed.2013June 1 New ZealandSerpentine Beach, Kumara Junction, West Coast Region110Male. Three other individuals of different species stranded in area within 2 days- others were pygmy sperm, long-finned pilot and Cuvier's beaked whales.2012December 5 AustraliaYounghusband Peninsula, South Australia1104.7m long female. Washed up dead.2012November 18 AustraliaWaitpinga Cliffs, Victor Harbor, South Australia110Washed up dead.2012August 14 United StatesHulls Cove, Bar Harbor, Maine110Found floating near Schoodic Point. Towed ashore for necropsy and collection by museum.2012March United KingdomSkegness Beach110Cause 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.2012February 8 Belgium110Was alive when beached, died soon afterwards.2012February Tunisian RepublicSidi Daoud beach11012 m long, 15 tonnes2011September 12 AustraliaOcean Beach and Macquarie Harbour, Strahan, Tasmania20Pod 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.2011June 1 (reported) United KingdomRedcar beach, Cleveland110Stranded and died ashore. 44 ft long male.2011March 11 United KingdomThanet, Kent11045 ft long.2009December ItalySouthern Adriatic coast7All male.2009January 23 AustraliaPerkins Island, Tasmania50500Eight were alive at first assessment. No survivors, rescue confounded by shallow water, inaccessible location for machinery and sheer number of dead or dying whales.2008June 10 United StatesPort Aransas, Texas110Whale was alive when NOAA received report. 27-foot long female. Euthanased and necropsied.2007August 12 AustraliaBetween Pelican Point and Blackfellows Caves, South Australia110Large gash on animal's back strongly suggests it had been involved in a ship collision.2007June IranNear Jask, Hormozgan110Likely Gulf of Oman resident and first Iranian stranding on record. 2006October 25 AustraliaOne Mile Beach, east of Hopetoun, Western Australia110Washed ashore, already dead.2006October 24 AustraliaBremer Bay, Western Australia550Died after beaching themselves. One whale was 20 m away from the others. Sizes ranged from 9.7 m to 12.5 m.2006August AustraliaNewcastle, New South Wales110Washed ashore dead bearing deep cuts believed caused by propeller strike from a large commercial vessel.2006August New ZealandPort Waikato110Juvenile female (7.2m) with visible injuries from fishing line entanglement. Washed up dead.2006June 1 Tunisian RepublicBizerte, Cap Zbib11016 m male.2005December 13 Tunisian RepublicTabarka1107.6 m partial body found. Female.2005March 7 IrelandBelgooly Creek, Kinsale, Cork11014 m male found decomposed.2005February 22 United KingdomFair Head, County Antrim, Northern Ireland11015 m male found decomposed.2005February 7 United KingdomGarron Point, County Antrim, Northern Ireland11011 m male found decomposed.2005January 17 IrelandLong Strand, Castlefreke, Cork11010 m male found decomposed.2004June 16 AustraliaOcean Beach and Macquarie Harbour, Strahan, Tasmania541Four sperm whales found dead on Ocean Beach. Another, thought to be from same pod, was rescued after becoming stranded in Macquarie Harbour at Strahan.2003November 30 AustraliaArthurs Bay, Flinders Island, Tasmania10912003September 25 AustraliaDoubtful Island Bay, near Bremer Bay, Western Australia990All badly gashed, at least 6 were dead at time of first inspection. Were neither rescued nor euthanised.2003 New ZealandKarekare beach, West Auckland121998February AustraliaMultiple locations along the west and northwest coastlines of Tasmania115This was a mass stranding event that concerned several locations over a number of weeks. 3 February: Ocean Beach, Strahan: 66 whales stranded. Three towed offshore, fate unclear. 63 died. an additional deceased whale found 20km the site. 8 February Trial Harbour, Zeehan: Whale found with rope burns to the tail.
19 February: Greens Beach, Marrawah:
35 whales stranded, rescue attempts impossible due to severe weather. All 35 whales died. 26 February: Bluff Hill Point, Marrawah: Severely decomposed whale reported. 28 February: Black River Beach, Stanley: