The world’s rarest whale was found washed ashore off the coast of New Zealand. So little is known about the perplexing spade-toothed whale, that for this excellently preserved creature to turn up is quite a pleasant surprise for the science community.
New Zealand’s spade-toothed whale is so rare that only seven of its kind have ever been found – and they have all been found dead. The first remains found were located on Pitt Island in 1872.
The spade-toothed whale is not only a spectacular discovery to scientists, but to Māori (the native people of New Zealand). In fact, they believe that the whale is a gift from their god of the ocean, Tangaroa. Because of this, the people of the tribe will be present alongside the scientists during the dissection of the whale.
The information that will be found through this investigation will provide further insight into the lives of these mysterious whales, and perhaps even advance our knowledge of the history of life on Earth.
