World's Rarest Whale Washes Up on New Zealand Beach

A species of beaked whale that recently washed ashore in New Zealand might be the rarest species of whale in the world; so rare, in fact, that officials have yet to make a conclusive identification as so little is known about the mammals.

In a news release on Monday, the New Zealand Department of Conservation said that staffers had been notified on July 4 that a type of beaked whale around 5 meters (approximately 16.4 feet) long had washed up near Taiari Mouth, on the southeastern coast of the island country. Marine-mammal experts believe that the creature was a male spade-toothed whale, a species of whale so rare that virtually nothing is known about them.

Spade-toothed whales are part of the cetacean family of aquatic animals, which are generally not well known to humans due to their deep-sea habitats, reclusive behavior, and seemingly low abundance. Only six specimens have ever been recovered, with no recorded live sightings. In fact, so little is known about the species that the NZ Threat Classification System categorizes them as "data deficient."

As such, DOC Coastal Otago Operations Manager Gabe Davies stressed the scientific importance of the find, should it be confirmed that the species is indeed a spade-toothed whale.

"Spade-toothed whales are one of the most poorly known large mammalian species of modern times," Davies said in a statement. "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 first intact spade-toothed whale specimens were a mother and calf which were found stranded in  New Zealand's Bay of Plenty in 2010. Another specimen was discovered in 2017 in the northeastern city of Gisborne.

However, the condition of the newly discovered specimen could allow for what might be the first-ever dissection of a spade-toothed whale. The department is working with the local tribal community Te Rūnanga ō Ōtākou on the next steps for the whale carcass. In the meantime, genetic samples have been sent to curators of the New Zealand Cetacean Tissue Archive with the University of Auckland for DNA testing in hopes to confirm the identify of the species. Though, an identification could take several weeks or months.

"It is important to ensure appropriate respect for this taoka is shown through the shared journey of learning, applying mātauraka Māori as we discover more about this rare species," said Te Rūnanga ō Ōtakou chair Nadia Wesley-Smith.