According to Robert Pitman, researcher at Oregon State University, beaked whales “are the largest, least-known animals left on the planet.” One beaked-whale species in particular, the ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon ginkgodens), has eluded scientists until recently, when a team of researchers finally spotted one of these extremely rare animals alive in the wild.
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A research study published in the scientific journal Marine Mammal Science explains how, in 2024, an expedition to find this enigmatic species went out in northwestern Baja California, México. Previously, other scientists had suspected sightings and acoustic readings of a ginkgo-toothed beaked whale in the area, but these researchers wanted to get a DNA sample to know for sure.
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They spotted one, an adult male, and they were able to genetically confirm that it was one of these rare beaked whales. In photos the team took, you can see the unique erupted tooth present in males of this species. “This is the first time that genetically confirmed ginkgo-toothed beaked whales have been observed at sea,” the authors wrote.
Until this expedition, scientists knew of these animals from strandings of dead ginkgo-toothed beaked whales on beaches. Spotting them in the wild will contribute to the scientific community’s understanding of this species.
See photos of the extremely rare whale species below, and read the full research study here.
Header stock image by Jeff Miller/Getty Images
