VOA科学技术2024--Rarest Whale in World Appears on New Zealand Beach

No 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.

However, scientists in New Zealand may finally get to learn more about them.

The 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 skull¹, beak² and teeth.

Very little is known

Hannah 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."

In 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 investigation³.

Tribal⁴ groups value whales

Researchers will work with local Māori iwi, or tribal groups, to plan how to examine the whale, the conservation agency said.

New Zealand's Indigenous⁵ 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.

Never seen alive

Spade-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.

"It's very hard to do research on marine⁶ mammals if you don't see them at sea," she said. "You don't know where to look."

Kirsten 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 mammoth⁷ amount of effort by researchers and local people" to identify the whales.

The new discovery "makes me wonder - how many are out in the deep ocean and how do they live?" Young said.

Researchers 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.

Words in This Story

marine - adj. of or relating to the sea or the plants and animals that live in the sea

amazing - adj. causing great surprise or wonder

species - 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

mammoth - adj. something that is very large

extinct - adj. no longer existing

1 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

2 beak   

n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻

参考例句：

• The bird had a worm in its beak.鸟儿嘴里叼着一条虫。
• This bird employs its beak as a weapon.这种鸟用嘴作武器。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

5 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

6 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

7 mammoth   

n.长毛象；adj.长毛象似的，巨大的

参考例句：

• You can only undertake mammoth changes if the finances are there.资金到位的情况下方可进行重大变革。
• Building the new railroad will be a mammoth job.修建那条新铁路将是一项巨大工程。