World's rarest whale, never seen alive, washes up on New Zealand beach

Body A Travers' beaked whale – A rare species that has never been seen before and has never been found alive – It appears to have washed up on the beach New Zealandaccording to scientists.

The remains of the five-metre-long whale were found on July 4 near a river mouth in the Otago region, southeast of the South Island, researchers said.

Marine mammal experts from the New Zealand Department of Conservation and Te Papa National Museum have identified the whale as a male.

A whale seen mainly in New Zealand.

These whales are one of the large mammals. Most popular in modern times“We are delighted to be working with Coastal Otago,” said Gabby Davies, Director of Conservation Operations at Coastal Otago.

“Since the 19th century, only six specimens have been documented worldwide, and only one was not from New Zealand,” Davies said in a statement on Monday (July 15).

The discovery was recent enough to provide First chance to dissect a Travers' beaked whale“The species is so rare that almost nothing is known about it,” the Department of Conservation confirmed.

A species we know almost nothing about.

The whale's body is in cold storage and DNA samples have been sent to the University of Auckland for analysis and confirmation of its identity, which could take months or weeks.

The rarity of this whale means that conversations about what to do next will take longer because it is a conversation of international importance.

This species was first described in 1874 from a lower jaw and teeth collected from the Chatham Islands, off the east coast of New Zealand.

This specimen, along with the remains of two other specimens found in New Zealand and Chile, allowed scientists to confirm the existence of this species. However, due to the rarity of the specimens discovered and the lack of sighting of live specimens, little is known about this species.

The first year that remained intact from a tree and a healthy tree in the Plenty Bay in 2010, according to the New Zealand conservation ministry, the second restoration in 2017 in Gisborne, at the end of the year. from the north.

Source: AFP

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