Rare Gingko toothed beaked whales spotted for first time in NZ waters

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A rare Gingko toothed beaked whale has been spotted in Northland.

Three Gingko toothed beaked whales were spotted two weeks ago in the shores of North Cape, north of Cape Reinga, during a research trip conducted by the Far Out Ocean Research Collective.

This is the first confirmed sighting of the species in New Zealand.

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Marine experts are both shocked and excited at the sighting, which could possibly be the first in the Southern Hemisphere.

The whales are usually spotted off Japan and Taiwan, and the sighting has shocked and excited experts.

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“The whale is super rare, so rare that it was hard to identify,” Tom Brough, a marine ecologist from the Far Out Research Collective, said.

“We had to go through a process of consulting books and getting in touch with other experts because we have never seen anything like it.”

Brough said the species have never been photographed alive before, and the researchers were “lucky to snap a few photos”.

“The sighting is quite special, it is rare to see them.”

Brough believes this may be “a first sighting in New Zealand”.

“As far we know, there are no confirmed live sightings at sea of this species in New Zealand, only a handful of stranding records.”

Information available about the Gingko toothed beaked whale is minimal, as they are shy and prefer areas that are not filled with people.

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This is a sign for marine experts to further research the area for marine megafauna, a marine ecologist says.

“Most of what we know about them is from beach strandings,” Brough said.

They are believed to weigh up to 1.5 tonnes and span 4.9 metres long.

Brough believed the whales may have been stranded, as beaked whales found in New Zealand shores are often stranded.

However, this sighting is a breakthrough for marine experts as it “supports high diversity” in “marine megafauna” in the area, he said.

Far Out Ocean Research Collective will be heading out to sea again to further explore the area.

“The unique sighting brings excitement as it was just in our backyard,” Brough said.

“It adds to the mystery of the ocean.”

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