The scientists in New Zealand commenced the dissection of a spade-toothed whale, a species so rare that only seven specimens have ever been documented.
The whale, which washed ashore on the South Island earlier this year, represented a unique opportunity to study a deep-sea mammal never observed alive.
Measuring five meters (16.4 feet) in length, the whale was retrieved from the beach in July and has been preserved in a special freezer since then.
Whale expert Anton van Helden stated that this is the first time researchers have had the chance to dissect a complete spade-toothed whale, which belongs to the beaked whale family. “This is a remarkable and globally significant opportunity,” he remarked.
The week-long dissection aims to provide insights into the whale’s behavior, diet, and anatomy. “Beaked whales are the most enigmatic group of large mammals on the planet,” Van Helden explained.
“They are deep divers that are rarely seen at sea, which presents real challenges for researching these marine animals.”
According to New Zealand’s conservation department, the spade-toothed whale is recognized as the “rarest whale in the world.”
The species was first described in 1874 from a lower jaw and two teeth collected from the Chatham Islands off New Zealand’s east coast.
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Together with skeletal remains from two other specimens found in New Zealand and Chile, these discoveries led to the confirmation of a new species.
Due to the scarcity of specimens and the absence of live sightings, the spade-toothed whale is classified as “data deficient” under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, highlighting the need for further research into this elusive marine mammal.
