World’s rarest whale may have washed up on New Zealand beach, possibly shedding clues on species

World’s rarest whale may have washed up on New Zealand beach, possibly shedding clues on species

a year ago
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https://apnews.com/article/whale-zealand-spade-toothed-beaked-stranding-conservation-643f3b1ad1acfba9bff73837a86a4ef1

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The spade-toothed whales are the world’s rarest, with no live sightings ever recorded. No one knows how many there are, what they eat, or even where they live in the vast expanse of the southern Pacific Ocean. However, scientists in New Zealand may have finally caught a break.

The country's conservation agency said Monday a creature that washed up on a South Island beach this month is believed to be a spade-toothed whale. The five-meter-long creature, a type of beaked whale, was identified after it washed ashore on Otago beach from its color patterns and the shape of its skull, beak and teeth