Scientists on the Pacific Storm research vessel off the coast of Baja California in Mexico were searching for elusive creatures when they made a groundbreaking discovery - two juvenile ginkgo-toothed beaked whales, a species that had never been seen alive. The team, led by researcher Elizabeth Henderson, had been tracking a group of whales producing a distinctive call, BW43, which was initially thought to be Perrin's beaked whale.
The discovery was the result of five years of research and was made possible by the use of advanced technology on board the vessel. The ship was equipped with hydrophones to listen to underwater sounds and an observation deck with high-powered binoculars that could spot whales hundreds of meters away.
Henderson said, "It was something we had worked towards for so long, and everybody on the boat was cheering because we had it." The team used a modified crossbow to take a small arrow from the surface of the water, which helped prove that they were indeed seeing a ginkgo-toothed beaked whale.
The discovery is significant because ginkgo-toothed beaked whales have never been seen alive before. They are deep-diving mammals that spend most of their lives in the oceans and are notoriously shy and easily frightened when approached by boats. The team's findings also provide new insights into the distribution of this species, which was previously thought to be limited to the Pacific Ocean.
The discovery has important implications for the conservation of beaked whales. These whales are especially sensitive to military sonars, which can interfere with their foraging and cause fatal injuries. By understanding where these whales live, scientists can help mitigate the potential harm of sonar by avoiding military training in areas known to be inhabited by beaked whales.
For Robert Pitman, a researcher at Oregon State University who has tracked down several elusive whale species, this discovery is a significant one. "I think those are just vagrants," he said of the six known strandings of Perrin's beaked whale along the coast of California. "It's someplace else, and we are not quite sure where to go look for this thing."
The team's findings were published in Marine Mammal Science, and their discovery marks a significant step forward in our understanding of these elusive creatures.
The discovery was the result of five years of research and was made possible by the use of advanced technology on board the vessel. The ship was equipped with hydrophones to listen to underwater sounds and an observation deck with high-powered binoculars that could spot whales hundreds of meters away.
Henderson said, "It was something we had worked towards for so long, and everybody on the boat was cheering because we had it." The team used a modified crossbow to take a small arrow from the surface of the water, which helped prove that they were indeed seeing a ginkgo-toothed beaked whale.
The discovery is significant because ginkgo-toothed beaked whales have never been seen alive before. They are deep-diving mammals that spend most of their lives in the oceans and are notoriously shy and easily frightened when approached by boats. The team's findings also provide new insights into the distribution of this species, which was previously thought to be limited to the Pacific Ocean.
The discovery has important implications for the conservation of beaked whales. These whales are especially sensitive to military sonars, which can interfere with their foraging and cause fatal injuries. By understanding where these whales live, scientists can help mitigate the potential harm of sonar by avoiding military training in areas known to be inhabited by beaked whales.
For Robert Pitman, a researcher at Oregon State University who has tracked down several elusive whale species, this discovery is a significant one. "I think those are just vagrants," he said of the six known strandings of Perrin's beaked whale along the coast of California. "It's someplace else, and we are not quite sure where to go look for this thing."
The team's findings were published in Marine Mammal Science, and their discovery marks a significant step forward in our understanding of these elusive creatures.
they finally found those ginkgo-toothed beaked whales after 5 yrs of research & it's like the ultimate proof that scientists r doing something right 
elizabeth henderson & her team deserve a huge round of applause for their dedication to uncovering these creatures' habitats, esp since they're super shy & easily scared 
anyway, this discovery is gonna make a big difference in conserving beaked whales from sonar noise pollution, so yay 
those two juvenile ginkgo-toothed beaked whales are literally the rarest things ever! can you imagine being on that research vessel and finally spotting one after 5 years of searching? 
and it's not just the fact that they're super hard to find, but also that we can learn more about their habits and habitats now. 
this discovery is a huge deal for conservation efforts too, especially since beaked whales are so sensitive to sonar. 
i'm loving how the team used advanced tech to make it happen, it's like they're saying "we believe in you, ginkgo-toothed beaked whales!" 
The fact that they used advanced tech like hydrophones and high-powered binoculars to track them down is just mind-blowing. And now we know more about these shy creatures and their habitats, which is crucial for conservation efforts 
It's also super interesting that the discovery could help mitigate sonar harm to beaked whales - it's all about understanding and protecting our ocean friends! 
I'm so done with scientists being like "oh look at us we found something new" when it comes to whales... five years of research? 
that's just a drop in the ocean for me, I mean, Pacific Storm is just another ship sailing around the world. And what's with the crossbow on the observation deck? Who needs a sniper rifle on a whale spotting tour? 
. It's like, "Hey, I'm a whale, can we just chill for a sec?" But nope, these guys are super shy and need our protection 
. Scientists are stoked, but also kinda worried that their sonar habits might get hurt 
. Let's hope the military doesn't mess up the ocean vibes too much 
. It's crazy how advanced tech helped them spot those cuties from like hundreds of meters away 
. Now we know where to look for these shy creatures and can help protect them from sonar noise pollution 
it's huge for conservation, those guys are super sensitive to sonar & easily hurt 
. And the fact that they were able to use all that advanced tech to track them down is just amazing 
. I'm also really glad that this discovery can help us learn more about these whales and how we can protect them 
. Let's keep exploring and learning about our planet and its amazing creatures 
.
!
5 yrs of research, $10M investment = 1 groundbreaking discovery 
. their distribution is more extensive than thought, with a new possible range from Pacific to Indian Ocean 
. sonar tech is still a major concern for these whales 
. what's next? 
I'm totally blown away by this discovery!!! 
The team must've been super stoked when they found those whales! 
The fact that they had to use a modified crossbow to take an arrow from the water to prove it was a ginkgo-toothed beaked whale is just too weird... like they were trying to hide something. 
.
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Anyway, glad we got this info out in the open, I guess.
hope this helps save their lives!