A dead baby blue whale, measuring over 34 feet, was found washed ashore in Japan on Sunday, about 40 miles south of Tokyo.
The 10-meter-long whale was spotted by astonished summer visitor at a popular beach. (Chinanews Photo)
According to experts from Japan's National Museum of Nature and Science, this is the first time in history this endangered species of blue whale has been washed up onto the Japanese shores.
It was the first time an endangered blue whale, the world's largest animal, has washed ashore in Japan. (Chinanews Photo)
The mammal was found dead on the shores of Yuigahama Beach in Japan's eastern seaside city of Kamakura on Sunday. Blue whales are the largest animals on Earth - adult blue whales normally grow up to 100 feet long and weigh 200 tons. Experts believe the whale washed up on the Japanese shore is a baby born this year. The cause of death is still unknown.
The body of a blue whale was found washed ashore in Japan's eastern seaside city of Kamakura on Sunday. (Chinanews Photo)
The body of the whale was buried on Monday.
TOKYO (AP) — A strong earthquake that struck southwestern Japan late Wednesday left nine people with minor injuries and caused damages such as burst water pipes and small landslides, authorities said, but there was no danger of a tsunami.
The magnitude 6.6 quake was centered just off the western coast of the southwestern main island of Shikoku, in an area called the Bungo Channel, a strait separating Shikoku and the southern main island of Kyushu.
The quake occurred 50 kilometers (30 miles) below the sea's surface and posed no danger of a tsunami, the Japanese Meteorological Agency said.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Thursday that six in Ehime prefecture, two in neighboring Kochi and two others in Oita on Kyushu island suffered minor injuries, mostly from falling at home.
Water pipes were ruptured at a number of locations in Sukumo City in Kochi prefecture, and grave stones collapsed at a Buddhist temple in Ainan town in Ehime prefecture, according to local media reports. Falling rooftiles were also reported.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were reported from four reactors operating at three nuclear power plants in Shikoku and Kyushu.
As part of the Pacific “ring of fire," Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone areas. The magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in March 2011 devastated large areas along Japan's northeastern coast, killing nearly 20,000 people and triggering the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdowns. On Jan. 1, a magnitude 7.6 quake struck the north-central region of Noto and left 241 people dead.
This shows the site of a rock fall following an earthquake in Ohzu, Ehime prefecture, western Japan Thursday, April 18, 2024. According to Kyodo News reports, a strong earthquake hit Ehime and Kochi prefectures in western Japan on Wednesday night, but no tsunami warning was issued. (Kyodo News via AP)
Police officers clean the debris from an earthquake in Uwajima, Ehime prefecture, western Japan Thursday, April 18, 2024. According to Kyodo News reports, a strong earthquake hit Ehime and Kochi prefectures in western Japan on Wednesday night, but no tsunami warning was issued. (Kyodo News via AP)
