World's rarest whale seen for first time after New Zealand beaching

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/nov/06/worlds-rarest-whale-new-zealand


The spade-toothed beaked whale is so rare, nobody has seen one alive. Photograph: AP

The spade-toothed beaked whale is so rare that nobody has seen one alive, but scientists have proof the species still exists.

Two skeletons were identified as belonging to the species after a 17-foot whale and her calf beached themselves in New Zealand in 2010. Scientists hope the discovery will provide insights into the species and into ocean ecosystems.

It was almost a missed opportunity, however, since conservation workers misidentified the carcasses as a much more common type of whale and buried them.

In a paper published Tuesday in the journal Current Biology, researchers from New Zealand and the United States say of their discovery: "For the first time we have a description of the world's rarest and perhaps most enigmatic marine mammal."