Sea Shepherd researchers discovered a previously unknown species of whale off the west coast of Mexico
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himThey couldn't believe their eyes when they noticed his presence in Mexican waters. Researchers working with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society think they have discovered a previously unknown whale species off the west coast of Mexico.
On the morning of November 17, scientists aboard Sea Shepherd ship Martin Sheen observed three beaked whales, a family of toothless whales to which more than twenty species belong. In fact, it is one of the least known large mammal families.
An exceptional sighting, which took place 100 miles north of the Mexican islands of San Benito, a group of three remote islands located about 300 miles from the US border.
The expedition was led by renowned researchers, including Gustavo Cárdenas Hinojosa of CONANP's Marine Mammal Research Group, Jay Barlow and Elizabeth Henderson, leader of NIWC PAC's acoustic whale reconnaissance program.
©SeaShepherd
During the voyage, scientists and the Sea Shepherd crew took photographs and filmed the animals, also using a specialized underwater microphone to record the beeps emitted by the whales. They were different than anything ever heard. Even the images did not seem to leave any doubts but it will be the environmental genetic sampling, performed at the time of the sighting, and now in the analysis phase, to definitively prove the existence of this new species.
#Last Minute ⚠️⚠️⚠️
They discover what appears to be a new species of #whale in Mexican waters, near San Benito Island, off the Baja California Peninsula. ??
Via: @CONANP_mx @SeaShepherdSSCS @seashepherd @USNaval pic.twitter.com/IIaDoMFGpD
— Ernesto Méndez (@ernesto_mendez) December 8, 2020
“We have seen something new. Something that was not expected in this area, something that does not correspond, neither visually nor acoustically, to something known, ”said Dr Jay Barlow. "I get chills up and down my spine when I think we could have accomplished what most people would have considered truly impossible: find a large mammal that exists on this earth that is totally unknown to science."
Beaked whales, like all cetaceans, emit distinct beeps of echolocation underwater. These sounds are unique to each species and can reliably identify the types of beaked whales found in the area.
? POSSIBLE NEW SPECIES ALERT! ?
Researchers working with Sea Shepherd Conservation Society believe that they have discovered a previously unknown #species of #whale off the western coast of Mexico.
Read more at the story below.#FortheOceanhttps://t.co/hAhDaShM49
— Sea Shepherd US (@SeaShepherdSSCS) December 8, 2020
This is not the first time this has happened in recent times. In 2018, scientists recorded an unknown beep in waters north of the San Benito Islands. The signal, known as BW43, was previously detected off the coast of California and scientists believe it could be the sound of Perrin's beaked whale.
The latter is one of 23 known species of beaked whales found in oceans around the world. There are no confirmed live sightings. The population size and geographic area are also unknown.
©Simon Ager -Sea Shepherd
According to the scientists, the animal documented on this expedition is a beaked whale, but it is not Perrin's nor does it belong to any other known species. The beep had never been heard.
Sources of reference: Sea Shepherd
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