The rarest whale in the world, known as the Spade whale, has only been seen seven times. Very little is known about this mysterious species. A group of scientists and cultural experts from New Zealand recently gathered around the nearly perfectly preserved Spade whale to unravel its decades-old mystery.
“Words cannot articulate how extraordinary this is,” exclaimed Anton van Heerden, a senior marine science adviser at the New Zealand Conservation Service, who named the whale to distinguish it from others. He added, “For me personally, it’s unbelievable.”
Van Helden has been studying beaked whales for 35 years, and Monday marked his first time participating in a dissection of the whale. This is also the first time in history that this creature, found dead on a New Zealand coast in July, has been carefully examined.
No one has ever witnessed a Spade whale alive at sea.
New Zealand Department of Conservation/AFP – Getty Images File
Researchers at the Agricultural Research Center near Dunedin are studying the 5-meter (16-foot) male whale in hopes of uncovering more information over the next week.
Van Heerden mentioned the possibility of a parasite unknown to science living inside the whale, as well as the mystery surrounding how this species communicates and eats.
Only six other Spade whales have been found, all buried before DNA testing could confirm their identities.
New Zealand has been a hotspot for whale strandings, with the first Spade whale bones discovered in 1872. DNA sequencing confirmed the species in 2002, but its extinction was unclear until two whales washed up dead in 2010.
During the dissection, the researchers worked respectfully alongside the indigenous Maori people, who consider whales as precious treasures. Traditional beliefs and practices were observed throughout the process.
After the dissection, the whale’s jawbone and teeth will be stored by the Maori tribe and replicated using 3D printing technology.
Spade-toothed whales are believed to inhabit the South Pacific Ocean, one of the deepest oceanic regions, making them even more enigmatic.
Anatomist Joy Lydenberg from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York expressed interest in understanding the life of these whales rather than just their cause of death, hoping to find insights applicable to humans.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
