One of the most elusive mammals on the planet seems to have made a surprise appearance on a New Zealand beach. Scientists suspect a stranded whale found near the fishing village of Taieri Mouth is a spade-toothed whale, described by the Department of Conservation as the “world’s rarest whale.” This could be an extraordinary opportunity for researchers to learn about a largely unstudied animal.
The male whale measures over 16 feet in length and was recently deceased when it was found on July 4. “Spade-toothed whales are one of the most poorly known large mammalian species of modern times,” said DOC coastal Otago operations manager Gabe Davies in a statement on July 15. “Since the 1800s, only six samples have ever been documented worldwide, and all but one of these was from New Zealand. From a scientific and conservation point of view, this is huge.”
The spade-toothed whale was first described as a new species in 1874, but researchers at the time had only a lower jaw and two teeth to go on. The formal name is Mesoplodon traversii, named for New Zealand naturalist Henry Travers. It’s a species of beaked whale, deep-sea dwellers known for their dolphin-like beaks.
Two specimens, a female and a male calf, were stranded and died on Opape Beach in New Zealand in 2010. Originally misidentified as the more common Gray’s beaked whale, DNA testing uncovered the truth. “Based on the scarcity of records and the total absence of previous sightings, this species is the least known species of whale and one of the world’s rarest living mammals,” the genetic researchers wrote in a study published in Current Biology in 2012. The skeletal remains were dug up and transferred to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa for study. Another whale was found dead in 2017, but there have been no live sightings of the ocean animal. The 2017 specimen was buried before it could be dissected, The Guardian reported.
A contractor removed the recently discovered whale from the beach. A photo released by the DOC shows the straps and equipment required to move the large mammal. It’s now in cold storage for preservation. Experts at the University of Auckland are studying the whale’s DNA to officially confirm the species. That process could take weeks or months.
The freshness of the mammal means it’s a good candidate for the first-ever dissection of a spade-toothed whale. However, the specimen’s journey isn’t set. DOC is partnering with Indigenous leaders to make decisions on how the whale is handled. The whale is a taoka—a cultural treasure—of the Maori. With the whale in safe storage, decisions don’t have to be rushed. The spade-toothed whale has been an enigmatic animal for well over a century. Its secrets can wait a little longer.