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NICOSIA, Feb 10 (Reuters) - A number of whales have washed up dead on the northern shores of Cyprus, authorities said on Friday, possibly affected by the massive earthquakes in neighbouring Turkey and Syria this week.<br> Six beaked whales were found dead on Friday, while a pod of four were found beached on Thursday, the Cyprus department of fisheries and marine research said.<br> Three of the four from Thursday were guided back to sea, while the fourth died, it said in a statement. It was unclear if the dead pod found on Friday included those whales from Thursday that had been returned to the sea, it said.<br> "These animals have an echolocation system which is affected by sea noise; it could be military exercises, seismic drills or naturally the earthquake in the region," Yiannis Ioannou of the fisheries and marine research department told Sigma TV.<br> Authorities identified the whale as ziphius cavirostris, or more commonly known as Cuvier's beaked whale. It is not very common offshore Cyprus.<br> The whales were found in what is a relatively small part of Cyprus's northern coastline under the control of the island's internationally recognised government. The longer part of the coastline is controlled by a breakaway Turkish Cypriot state.<br> Monday's mega earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which have killed tens of thousands of people, were also felt on the east Mediterranean island. (Reporting By Michele Kambas; Editing by Sharon Singleton)<br>
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