Wellington, July 19 (UNI) A carcass believed to belong to a spade-toothed whale, the world’s rarest whale, was found on the beach of New Zealand’s Dunedin, and it reportedly died either on the day or a day or two before it was found.
The creature, reportedly a male spade-toothed whale about five meters long, was washed up on the beach at Taieri Mouth in the Otago region on July 4, according to the Department of Conservation (DOC).
It was a very significant scientific find if its DNA was confirmed, which would take weeks due to its rarity and international significance, Radio New Zealand reported citing the DOC.
Spade-toothed whales are one of the most poorly known large mammalian species of modern times, as only six samples have ever been documented worldwide since the 1800s, said Coastal Otago operations manager Gabe Davies.
The beached whale was discovered by a Dunedin resident sitting on his couch at home to check wave conditions through webcam footage before getting out for a surf.
