In a remarkable event on Monday, a team of scientists and cultural experts in New Zealand gathered around a nearly flawless spade-toothed whale, a creature considered the world’s rarest whale, with only seven ever spotted. This event represents an opportunity to unravel decades of mystery surrounding this enigmatic species.
“It’s extraordinary,” exclaimed Anton van Helden, a senior marine science adviser for New Zealand’s conservation agency, who named the spade-toothed whale to differentiate it from other beaked whale species. “For me personally, it’s unbelievable.”
Van Helden, who has dedicated 35 years to studying beaked whales, participated in the dissection of the spade-toothed variety for the very first time. The whale had washed ashore near Dunedin in July, and this detailed examination marks the inaugural study of this particular species.
Despite the intrigue, much remains unknown about spade-toothed whales. Scientists are uncertain about where these whales roam in the ocean, why they have never been observed alive at sea, or even what their brains look like. Additionally, while beaked whales exhibit varying stomach systems, the digestive processes of the spade-toothed variety remain a mystery, as does the cause of death for this particular specimen.
The 5-meter (16-foot) male whale is being studied at an agricultural research center, and researchers are eager to uncover new insights over the next week. “There may be parasites entirely new to science that exist in this whale,” van Helden remarked, excited about learning how the species produces sounds and what it feeds on. “Who knows what we’ll discover?”
Previously, only six other spade-toothed whales have been found, but these were buried before DNA testing could establish their identities. New Zealand is noted for its high frequency of whale strandings, with over 5,000 incidents recorded since 1840, as per the Department of Conservation. The species’ bones were first discovered in 1872 on Pitt Island, with later finds in the 1950s on an offshore island and in 1986 on Robinson Crusoe Island in Chile.
DNA analysis in 2002 confirmed that the three specimens were part of the same distinct species, but researchers could not ascertain whether it was extinct until two dead spade-toothed whales washed ashore in 2010. This current dissection involves the seventh known specimen and is remarkable for its relatively unmarked condition, with researchers noting that cookiecutter shark marks were present but not indicative of the whale’s demise.
The dissection is conducted carefully and deliberately, in cooperation with Māori, New Zealand’s Indigenous people. For the Māori, whales are considered a taonga, or precious treasure, and they treat this creature with the respect due to ancestors. Members of the local iwi, or tribe, will participate throughout the process, integrating traditional knowledge and customs, including performing a karakia— a prayer offered over the whale before the examination begins.
“According to our beliefs, this whale is a gift of Tangaroa, the deity of the ocean,” shared Tumai Cassidy from the local iwi Te Rūnanga Ōtākou. “It’s crucial for us to honor and respect this gift.” After the dissection, the iwi will keep the whale’s jawbone and teeth, while the skeleton will be displayed in a museum. 3D printing technology will recreate those parts using CT scans taken of the whale’s head.
This research not only enriches our understanding of the spade-toothed whale but also sheds light on how it interacts with its ocean habitat. It’s believed that these whales inhabit the vast expanse of the Southern Pacific Ocean, which is known for its deep ocean trenches. Beaked whales are renowned as the ocean’s deepest divers, and the spade-toothed variety may surface infrequently, adding to its mystique.
The team of scientists, some of whom traveled internationally to witness the dissection, noted the importance of their findings. “We aim to understand not only how these animals died but also how they lived,” stated Joy Reidenberg, a comparative anatomist from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. “In exploring their way of life, we hope to make discoveries that could ultimately inform human health.”
