New wonder: Fan-toothed whale discovered for the first time in the wild

Scientists have discovered a previously unrecorded fan-toothed beaked whale, opening up new horizons in the understanding of deep-sea creatures.

In June 2024, scientists aboard the research vessel Pacific Storm were operating along the coast of Baja California in Mexico when they made an unprecedented discovery in the wild: a sea creature never before seen alive was spotted alongside their vessel. Photo: C. Hayslip / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Specifically, Mr. Robert Pitman, a retired researcher at Oregon State University, shot a small arrow from a crossbow into the back of one of two young beaked whales that kept surfacing and disappearing. Photo: Minden.

The arrowhead cut off a small piece of skin the size of a pencil eraser. Using this skin, scientists proved that they had seen a species never seen in the wild before: the fan-toothed beaked whale. Photo: discoverwildlife.

This species is so named because of its long snout and teeth shaped like the leaves of the ginkgo tree, also known as the ginkgo tree. Photo: Robin Gwen Agarwal/iNaturalist (CC BY-NC 4.0).

The team's discovery is the result of a five-year journey. Since 2020, researcher Elizabeth Henderson and colleagues in Mexico and the US have been tracking a group of whales that emit a distinctive sound coded BW43. Photo: Glen Tepke/iNaturalist (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Initially, the code was thought to belong to a Perrin’s beaked whale, a species never before recorded in the wild. For three consecutive years, the team returned to the same coordinates, sometimes by sailboat, sometimes by chartered Mexican fishing boats, but each time failed. Photo: Wendy St. John/iNaturalist (CC BY-SA 4.0).

By 2024, the experts had partnered with Oregon State University and set out on the university’s research vessel – a crucial step in the turnaround. The vessel was equipped with state-of-the-art equipment that would allow them to spot the long-beaked whales. Photo: wikipedia.

Until now, scientists knew very little about beaked whales because they are the world's deepest-diving mammals, only surfacing to breathe for a few minutes and often staying far from shore. They are also shy, easily startled by approaching ships. Photo: marinebio.org.

Readers are invited to watch the video: Discovering many new species in the Mekong River Region. Source: THĐT1.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/ky-quan-moi-phat-hien-ca-voi-mom-dai-rang-re-quat-lan-dau-trong-tu-nhien-post2149070028.html