A whale carcass washed up on a New Zealand beach is thought to be that of a rare species called a spade-toothed whale. It gets its name because its teeth resemble a traditional spade-like tool used to strip whale fat.
Scientists know about this whale mainly from bones and tissue found years apart. These pieces were studied and showed the same DNA, proving they are from the same kind of whale.
Anton van Helden, a science adviser at New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, is an expert on this whale. He helped rediscover the species when it was thought to be extinct and gave it its name. Van Helden told the Guardian, “There is no doubt that that is what it is.”
First complete specimen of spade-toothed whale
The whale has been moved to a freezer, allowing scientists to work without rushing. “We’re not talking over a carcass sitting in the hot sun,” said Anton van Helden.
Gabe Davies, the operations manager at New Zealand’s Department of Conservation, called the discovery “huge” in a press release. He noted that spade-toothed whales are one of the least known large mammals today.
Asymmetry in the male Spade-toothed Whale (Mesoplodon traversii)? That is so fkn cool!
For years, I’ve been hoping that we’d observe a living male or find one beached, and it finally happened. I just hope he led a good life and sired many calves. #beakedwhale pic.twitter.com/QFmJViY4ZD
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If DNA tests confirm the find, this male whale will be the first complete specimen ever studied by scientists.
Genetic samples from the whale have been sent to the University of Auckland’s Cetacean Tissue Archive for DNA testing. This archive is the second largest collection of whale, dolphin, and porpoise tissue in the world. The results may take several months to be published.
Moreover, Van Helden said that previous specimens were only bones, body parts, or decayed flesh mixed with sand.
Discovery of the spade-toothed whale
At 9:30pm on the night the whale was discovered, Trevor King, who owns an earthmoving business in Dunedin, received an unexpected call from the Department of Conservation (DOC). His task was to move the whale from where it was found and bury it in the sand dunes.
Initially, he thought it would be a simple job, but he cleared his schedule, informing others that he needed to bury a whale, as reported by The Guardian.
Trevor King, with 35 years of experience, has buried about half a dozen whales, but never one as rare as this. When he arrived at the site, around 14 people were there, and many phone calls were being made.
Jim Fyfe, a coastal marine ranger, was among those on the phone, and he realized the whale was much bigger than had been reported. Fyfe inspected its open mouth but found its teeth broken off. He began sending pictures to the DOC to help identify it.
Anton van Helden, recovering from surgery, received Fyfe’s photographs. The next morning, as Fyfe was driving to the beach, Van Helden called him. Van Helden emphasized the significance of the find, saying, “This is so rare. This is really important.”