Four whales stranded off the coast of Japan during a tsunami warning after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake in the Russian Far East.

At least four beached whales were spotted in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, on Wednesday, coinciding with a tsunami warning issued after an 8.8 Richter scale earthquake in the Russian Far East. Although a direct link between the two events cannot be established, images of the whales have gone viral on social media. The Japanese authorities have warned of possible damage from the tsunami waves and researchers are unable to assess the exact number of animals affected due to access restrictions. The escape of these marine mammals may indicate disturbances caused by underwater earthquakes.