Panicked sea lions dive into water during huge Russia earthquake

WorldEnvironment
31 Jul 2025 • 12:01 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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As a powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Russia's far east, sea lions were seen diving into the sea for safety.

Footage was filmed by a tourist on a boat during a day trip near Antsiferov island.

The magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunami waves of up to 16 feet (5 meters) nearby and sparked evacuation orders as far away as Hawaii and across the Pacific on Wednesday (30 July).

Several people were injured, but none seriously, and no major damage has been reported so far from one of the biggest quakes ever recorded.