Rarest Whale in World Appears on New Zealand Beach
2024-07-18
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1No one has ever seen a live spade-toothed whale. It is the world's rarest kind of whale.
2No one knows how many exist, what they eat, or even where they live in the southern Pacific Ocean.
3However, scientists in New Zealand may finally get to learn more about them.
4The country's conservation agency said Monday it believes a dead spade-toothed whale washed up on a South Island beach earlier this month.
5Scientists identified the whale by its color patterns and the shape of its skull, beak and teeth.
6Hannah Hendriks is a sea life expert for the Department of Conservation.
7She said, "This is going to lead to some amazing science and world-first information."
8In the past, only a few other spade-toothed whales have appeared on New Zealand's beaches.
9Scientists did not have a chance to closely examine them.
10Now, they will be able to.
11They have moved the whale to a cold place for their investigation.
12Researchers will work with local Māori iwi, or tribal groups, to plan how to examine the whale, the conservation agency said.
13New Zealand's Indigenous people consider whales a taonga - a sacred treasure.
14In April, Pacific Indigenous leaders signed a treaty recognizing whales as "legal persons."
15However, that is not recognized in the laws of participating nations.
16Spade-tooth whales live deep in the ocean.
17They come to the surface so rarely that scientists only know their general location in the southern Pacific Ocean.
18It is home to some of the world's deepest ocean areas, Hendriks said.
19"It's very hard to do research on marine mammals if you don't see them at sea," she said.
20"You don't know where to look."
21Kirsten Young is a senior lecturer at Britain's University of Exeter.
22She studies spade-toothed whales.
23She wrote in an email that it took "many years and a mammoth amount of effort by researchers and local people" to identify the whales.
24The new discovery "makes me wonder - how many are out in the deep ocean and how do they live?" Young said.
25Researchers studying the mammal could not confirm if the species went extinct.
26Then in 2010, two whole spade-toothed whales, both dead, appeared on a New Zealand beach.
27Samples of their tissue later showed they were spade-toothed whales.
28I'm Jill Robbins.
1No one has ever seen a live spade-toothed whale. It is the world's rarest kind of whale. No one knows how many exist, what they eat, or even where they live in the southern Pacific Ocean. 2However, scientists in New Zealand may finally get to learn more about them. 3The country's conservation agency said Monday it believes a dead spade-toothed whale washed up on a South Island beach earlier this month. Scientists identified the whale by its color patterns and the shape of its skull, beak and teeth. 4Very little is known 5Hannah Hendriks is a sea life expert for the Department of Conservation. She said, "This is going to lead to some amazing science and world-first information." 6In the past, only a few other spade-toothed whales have appeared on New Zealand's beaches. Scientists did not have a chance to closely examine them. Now, they will be able to. They have moved the whale to a cold place for their investigation. 7Tribal groups value whales 8Researchers will work with local Māori iwi, or tribal groups, to plan how to examine the whale, the conservation agency said. 9New Zealand's Indigenous people consider whales a taonga - a sacred treasure. In April, Pacific Indigenous leaders signed a treaty recognizing whales as "legal persons." However, that is not recognized in the laws of participating nations. 10Never seen alive 11Spade-tooth whales live deep in the ocean. They come to the surface so rarely that scientists only know their general location in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is home to some of the world's deepest ocean areas, Hendriks said. 12"It's very hard to do research on marine mammals if you don't see them at sea," she said. "You don't know where to look." 13Kirsten Young is a senior lecturer at Britain's University of Exeter. She studies spade-toothed whales. She wrote in an email that it took "many years and a mammoth amount of effort by researchers and local people" to identify the whales. 14The new discovery "makes me wonder - how many are out in the deep ocean and how do they live?" Young said. 15Researchers studying the mammal could not confirm if the species went extinct. Then in 2010, two whole spade-toothed whales, both dead, appeared on a New Zealand beach. Samples of their tissue later showed they were spade-toothed whales. 16I'm Jill Robbins. 17Charlotte Graham-McLay reported on this story for the Associated Press. Jill Robbins adapted it for Learning English. 18______________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20marine - adj. of or relating to the sea or the plants and animals that live in the sea 21amazing - adj. causing great surprise or wonder 22species - n. group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants : a group of related animals or plants that is smaller than a genus 23mammoth - adj. something that is very large 24extinct - adj. no longer existing 25What do you think of this story? Write to us in the Comments Section.