By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-12-02 06:41:28 | Updated at 2024-12-04 09:10:24
2 days ago
New Zealand scientists on Monday began dissecting a whale considered the rarest in the world, a species so elusive that only seven specimens have ever been documented.
The dead spade-toothed whale washed ashore on New Zealand’s South Island earlier this year, offering a chance to study a deep-sea mammal that has never been seen alive.
Measuring five metres (16.4 feet) long, the whale was winched off the beach in July and has sat in a special freezer since.
Whale expert Anton van Helden said it was the first time scientists had been able to dissect a complete spade-toothed specimen, which belongs to the family of beaked whales.
“This is a remarkable and globally significant opportunity,” he said.
The week-long dissection will help to fill in gaps about the whale’s behaviour, its diet, and even its basic anatomy.
