First confirmed record of stranding minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, 1804 in Lebanon

11/06/2026 Arda Tonay

First confirmed record of stranding minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, 1804 in Lebanon

Sharif Jemaa, Anthony Ouba, Myriam Lteif, Celine Mahfouz, Myriam Ghsoub, Milad Fakhri

ORCID IDs: S.J. 0000-0002-3680-1796; A.O. 0000-0001-5734-6094; M.L. 0000-0002-7819-3303; C.M. 0000-0001-9247-1050; M.G. 0000-0003-3413-0674; M.F. 0000-0003-4327-2674

National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS-L), 59 Zahia Salmane Street, Jnah, Beirut, P.O. Box 11-8281, LEBANON
National Centre for Marine Sciences (NCMS), Jounieh P.O. Box 189, LEBANON

Abstract

The common minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, 1804, is a rare visitor to the Mediterranean Sea. On 24 March 2025, a female individual stranded on the coastal area of Hannouch-Batroun in northern Lebanon. Morphometric measurements were recorded from the specimen, which had a total body length of 367 cm. No significant external scars or injuries were observed, and the cause of death has not yet been determined. This finding represents the first confirmed occurrence of the common minke whale from the Lebanese waters, providing new information on the distribution of this species in the poorly documented easternmost Levantine Basin.

Keywords: Balaenoptera acutorostrata, easternmost Mediterranean, Lebanon

Pages:141-150

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