Never before has one of these specimens been observed alive: one of the rarest whales in the world has washed up on a beach

Une des baleines plus rares au monde a été découverte sur une plage de Nouvelle-Zélande. (ILLUSTRATION) France Inter – Maxence Lambrecq

L'une des baleines les plus rares du monde a été découverte sur une plage de Nouvelle-Zélande, ce qui ravi les scientifiques.

This is an incredible discovery, one of the rarest whales in the world has washed up on a beach in New Zealand, according to announcements from the country's conservation authority, relayed by Associated Press. For several centuries, only a few specimens have been recorded, said the Department of Conservation (DOC).

"It’s huge"

A spade-toothed whale was found on this beach in New Zealand. Currently, no living specimen of this species has been observed anywhere in the world. Information on these whales is therefore less: diet, number, exact location… hellip; scientists still don't know many things about them.

The world's rarest whale is believed to have washed ashore on a New Zealand beach, the country's conservation authority says https://t.co/s20Ve3XujO

— dpa news agency (@dpa_intl) July 15, 2024

They measure almost 5 meters and look like a kind of beaked whale. This could be identified thanks to its color patterns but also its skull, its beak and its teeth. "We know very little, if anything. This will lead to astonishing scientific discoveries and information never seen before in the world", said Hannah Hendriks, marine technical advisor to the Ministry of Conservation.

"Spade-toothed whales are one of the least known large mammal species of modern times. From a scientific and conservation perspective, this is huge&amp ;quot;, said DOC Coastal Otago operations manager Gabe Davies.

After samples have been taken from the specimen, analyzes will be performed but DNA results may take several weeks or months to come back. For now, the whale has been placed in cold storage for preservation.