Creature washed up on New Zealand beach believed to be world's rarest whale

Experts are excited amid reports that the rare sea creature, which was recently found washed up near a small fishing village in New Zealand, was a spade-toothed whale.

Information on spade-toothed whales is scarce, with no live sightings ever recorded. Previously, only three specimens were found - in New Zealand and Chile. They are described only from skeletal remains consisting of two skulls and one jawbone.

Experts don't know much about their population, diet and other aspects. They don't exactly know where these elusive creatures live but some reports suggest that the species can be found only in the southern hemisphere - possibly just in the South Pacific.

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However, now there's hope to know more about spade-toothed whales after a New Zealand-based conservation agency said on Monday (Jul 15) that a creature that washed up on a South Island beach this month is believed to be a spade-toothed whale.

The five-metre-long creature, a type of beaked whale, was identified after it washed ashore on an Otago beach from its colour patterns and the shape of its skull, beak and teeth.

Hannah Hendriks, who is a marine technical adviser for the Department of Conservation, told the Associated Press that "we know very little, practically nothing" about the creatures and "this is going to lead to some amazing science and world-first information".

If the beached whale turns out to be a spade-toothed whale, then it would be the first specimen discovered in a condition that would allow scientists to dissect it. But DNA processing and confirming a final species identity might take several weeks or months.

This would enable them to map the whale's relationship to the few other specimens of the species that have been found, discover what it eats and possibly provide clues about where the whales live.

As quoted by RNZ, Coastal Otago operations manager Gabe Davies said if confirmed, it was a very significant scientific find.

Davies added, "Spade-toothed whales are one of the most poorly known large mammalian species of modern times. Since the 1800s, only six samples have ever been documented worldwide, and all but one of these was from New Zealand. From a scientific and conservation point of view, this is huge."

(With inputs from agencies)