Extremely rare whale washes up on Otago coast

DOC ranger Jim Fyfe and mana whenua ranger Tūmai Cassidy spotted a rare beaked whale near Taieri Mouth.
photo: Provided by/Ministry of Environmental Protection

A beaked whale has washed up on the Otago coast and scientists say it could take weeks to identify its DNA because it is so rare.

The Department of Conservation said its staff were informed that a whale measuring about 5 metres in length washed up on the coast near the mouth of the Taieri River on July 4.

Following examination and consultation with marine mammal experts from the Department of Conservation and Te Papa National Museum, it is believed to be a male shovel-toothed whale.

Coast Otago operations manager Gabe Davies said if confirmed it would be a very important scientific discovery.

“Shovel-toothed whales are one of the least known large mammal species of the modern era.

“There have only been six specimens recorded worldwide since the 19th century, and all but one are from New Zealand. This is a huge discovery from a scientific and conservation perspective,” he said.

Davis said the species was first described in 1874, when just a mandible and two teeth were collected from Pitt Island (Rēkohu, also known as the Chatham Islands).

This sample, along with the skeletal remains of two other specimens found on White Island and Robinson Crusoe Island in western Chile, allowed scientists to confirm that it was a new species.

He said two recent sightings in the Bay of Plenty and north of Gisborne had helped describe the species’ colour patterns for the first time.

Davis said the fresh specimen provided the first opportunity to dissect a shovel-toothed whale.

The genetic samples have been sent to the curator of the New Zealand Cetacean Tissue Archive at the University of Auckland.

Davis said it could take weeks or months to process the DNA and confirm the final species identity.

“Due to the rarity of the whale, the discussion on what to do next will take more time as it is a discussion of international importance,” he said.

The whale appeared to have died before it was discovered.
photo: Provided by/Ministry of Environmental Protection

Davis said the whale appeared to have died on the day it was found or a day or two before.

“It’s bittersweet that it’s dead and we can’t study it while it’s alive, but the best thing would be a fresh specimen like this. At this point, we don’t know what the cause of death was,” he said.

Davis said the shovel-toothed whale was listed as a data-deficient species in New Zealand and it was hoped the whale would help fill in some gaps, such as what the species typically eats or where it lives.

Since the discovery was announced, people from all over the world have shown great interest in it.

Davis said this underscores why it is important for the public to report wildlife sightings to the Department of Conservation as quickly as possible.

“We really appreciated the quick communication and the high quality of the photos. That’s always a very useful part, along with being able to identify the location via GPS so we don’t have people searching the beach for hours.”

The whale is currently being held in a commercial cold storage facility in Otago.

“It can’t stay in the cold storage forever, (if it does) that would be a missed opportunity. There are a lot of variables involved, such as scientific research funding, location, etc. … We can only move forward little by little,” Davis said.

He said it was important for the Department of Conservation to balance scientific research with Maori culture.

Davies said Te Rūnanga ō Ōtākou has been involved since the whale sighting was reported, and Harpu hopes to help support further research while seeing that Matauranga Māori is upheld, Davies said.

“Due to the importance of whales in Maori culture, people often ask for donations of jawbones, especially lower jawbones.”

He said he hoped to hold a meeting with all relevant parties in the coming weeks to decide on the next steps.

DOC has been working with Te Rūnanga ō Ōtākou from the outset to develop a plan for the disposal of the whale remains.

“It is important that we pay due respect to this Māori culture in our shared learning journey and apply it as we learn more about this rare species,” said Nadia Wesley-Smith, chairperson of Te Rūnanga ō Ōtakou.

The whale was carefully removed from the beach by local contractor Trevor King Earthmoving, local rūnaka members and the Otago Museum.

It is currently being kept in cold storage until a decision is made on the next course of action.