Scientists in New Zealand are dissecting an entire spade-toothed whale, one of the rarest whale species in the world, for the first time, according to The Guardian. When the five-meter male whale came ashore in Otago, South Island, in July, it excited cetacean scientists.

The elusive beaked whale is known as a spade-toothed whale because of its teeth, which resemble spades. Since the 1800s, only seven specimens have been recorded, six of which were found in New Zealand. The only sources of information available to scientists about the species up to now have been bone and tissue samples taken from dispersed remains discovered over many years.

The groundbreaking examination began at the Invermay AgResearch Centre in Mosgiel, near Dunedin, on Monday. The event brought together local and international scientists, along with Maori representatives, to study the rare specimen.  

Anton van Helden, a global expert on spade-toothed whales and science adviser at the Department of Conservation, described the atmosphere as one of “reverence” for the animal. This unique opportunity is expected to shed light on the biology and behavior of a species shrouded in mystery.  

The dissection marks a pivotal moment for marine biology, offering insights into the anatomy and life of a whale species that has largely remained an enigma.

“We’re working around a dead animal, but it’s telling us about how it [lived], and also that’s unpacking all of the life stories of the people involved around it,” he told The Guardian.

Van Helden, the lead author on a paper that gave the species its name, said the opportunity to examine the whale is “an incredible moment”.

“Beaked whales are the most enigmatic group of large mammals on the planet, they are deep divers that are rarely seen at sea.”

“This one is the rarest of the rare, only the seventh specimen known from anywhere in the world, and the first opportunity we have had to undertake a dissection like this,” he said.