Video Showing Beluga Whales Washed Ashore Predates the Earthquake in Russia

The video being circulated onine predates the recent tsunami in the North Pacific Ocean region.

Fact-Check: A video of Kamchatka fishermen rescuing stranded beluga whales is being falsely linked to the recent earthquake near Russia.

Source: Altered by The Quint)

A video is doing the rounds on social media showing a group of beluga whales stranded on a beach, while people appear to be trying to help them.

What’s the claim?: Users posting this video claimed that it showed beluga whales stranded on the beach in Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, following the massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the region on 30 July.

Some users also claimed the clip was from before the earthquake and added that this was nature's way of warning humans about the earthquake and tsunami.

The archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X)

News channel News9live also published the video on their Instagram handles.

Screenshot of the post. 

(Source: Screenshot/Instagram)

(Archived versions of more posts sharing this claim can be seen here and here.)

Is the claim true?: No, the claim is false as the video is from August 2023, not connected to the recent earthquake.

What we found: We ran a relevant keyword search and found that the video actually dates back to 10 August 2023, nearly two years before the 30 July earthquake.

• We then ran a Google reverse image search and found a report published by Newsweek, the original incident occurred when five beluga whales, including a calf, became stranded due to high tide changes on the Kamchatka coast.

• A local news reported that local fishermen successfully rescued them from the Sokol family artel.

• We also found a post on X by Hava Forum that was dated 17 August 2023. This predates the recent earthquake in the region.

What about the earthquake?: A devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake did strike Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on 30 July 2025, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific region.

• The Kamchatka Peninsula is experiencing significant tsunami activity, with wave heights measured at 3-4 metres (10-13 feet).

• According to regional governor Valery Limarenko, the main settlement of Severo-Kurilsk on the Kuril Islands has been hit by the first wave.

The epicentre of the Earhquake can be viewed here.

(Source: BBC)

Conclusion: A video showing local fishermen helping stranded beluga whales in Kamchatka has been falsely linked to the July 2025 earthquake near Russia.

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