Mystery of world’s rarest whale to be unlocked after discovery on beach
Spade-toothed whales are so elusive they've never been seen alive. Now a new project will reveal new insights into its physical structure.
Little is known about one of the world’s rarest marine creatures, the spade-toothed whale. Now New Zealand researchers hope to unlock new insights by dissecting the body of a five-metre-long male found beached on a remote stretch of coastline.
“Next to nothing is known about the species. Since the 1800s, only six other spade-toothed whales have been documented worldwide,” the Department of Conservation said as it announced plans to dissect the animal over the coming week.
Yahoo News first reported on the discovery of the whale at Taiari Mouth, near Otago on the country's South Island. It is the only time a complete body in good condition has ever been recovered.
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Rare whale seldom observed in the wild
The world-first dissection will take place over a week. It will involve a team of international and local scientists at Tūhura Otago Museum and Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka University of Otago documenting the entire body of a spade-toothed whale.
Beaked whale expert Anton van Helden said, “We will be able to look at the structures used for sound production, its stomach layout, that is unique to each species of beaked whale, even down to confirming exactly how many vertebrae this species has."
Spade-toothed whales have never been seen alive, so almost nothing is known about their behaviour or population size.
“The findings of the dissection may have implications for how we manage the human threats these species face in their environment. This is a remarkable and globally significant opportunity,” van Helden said.
The dissection will be led by Maori authority Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, which will retain the jawbone for cultural purposes. The rest of the skeleton will be given to the museum, which it will complete with a 3D model of the jaw.
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