Out of Sight, out of Mind? Evidence of Human‐Induced Threats in the Elusive Ziphius cavirostris of the Mediterranean Sea

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea are increasingly exposed to a suite of anthropogenic threats, including fisheries interactions, vessel strikes, and environmental degradation. While much is known about these impacts on common species, deep‐diving and elusive cetaceans like the beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris remain poorly studied due to their offshore distribution and brief surface intervals. This study reports a rare sighting of Z. cavirostris in the Western Mediterranean Sea exhibiting a significant dorsal laceration, potentially linked to human activity. The observation was made during a standardized ferry‐based monitoring survey in the Alboran Sea. We contextualize this sighting within broader data on anthropogenic threats to cetaceans, highlighting the underreporting of sub‐lethal injuries in offshore species. This case underscores the importance of opportunistic platforms and long‐term monitoring networks, such as FLT Med Net, in detecting and evaluating human‐induced impacts on rarely observed marine mammals. Our findings advocate for targeted conservation actions and improved mitigation strategies in high‐risk areas of the Mediterranean Sea to protect vulnerable cetacean populations, including beaked whales.