Finding a whale believed to be one of the rarest species in the world

2024-07-16 2024-07-16T18:24:33Z

Weather of Arabia - The spade-toothed whale is one of the rarest types of whales in the world, as no live sightings of it have been recorded so far.

In addition, the number of these whales, their food, and even their habitat in the vast South Pacific are not known.

However, scientists in New Zealand may have finally obtained some information about this whale, according to the Associated Press.

A government environmental agency in New Zealand said Monday that a whale that washed up on the South Island this month was believed to be a beaked whale.

Finding a whale believed to be one of the rarest species in the world

The 5-metre-long whale washed up on Otago Beach and was identified by its colours, the shape of its skull, its beak and its teeth.

In this context, Hannah Hendricks, a marine technical advisor for the New Zealand Department of Conservation, told the Associated Press:

"We know very little about this whale, almost nothing. This discovery will lead to some amazing science and first-hand new information in the world."

Rare spade-toothed whale washes up on a New Zealand beach.

Spade-toothed whales are so rare that only seven have ever been discovered and none of them alive https://t.co/IxJWo1SHd7 pic.twitter.com/PDFFSS2lHr

— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 15, 2024

If it is confirmed that it belongs to the shovel-toothed beaked whale, this will be the first specimen found in a condition that allows scientists to dissect it, which will provide a map of this whale’s relationship to the few other species that have been found.

Hendricks added: "We have only identified six other spadetoothed whales, and those found intact on the beaches of New Zealand's North Island were buried before DNA testing could verify their identity, which thwarted any opportunity to study them."

"But this time, the whale was quickly moved to cold storage on shore, and researchers will work with local Māori iwi tribes to plan how to examine it," the Department of Conservation said.

New Zealand's indigenous people consider whales a sacred symbol with cultural significance.

Indigenous leaders in the Pacific signed a treaty last April that recognizes whales as “legal persons,” although such steps are not reflected in the laws of participating countries.

Currently, nothing is known about the habitat of these whales.