Rare Whale Species Discovered Off Madagascar Coast

A team of marine biologists has tracked down a new species of whale spotted off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The most striking feature of this new whale is its flat jaw system. "For many years, we tried to observe these whales," said Salvador Carcio, one of the lead researchers. "But to no avail. It is a very difficult species to locate, as, besides being relatively small, it usually moves in remote sea areas, within a relatively short range."

Carcio added that all the few samples they received in previous years were from similar whales, but they were taken from carcasses that washed ashore, not from live whales. "Therefore, this discovery is all the more exciting," he explained. 

The whale with flat jaws (photo: New England Aquarium)

(photo: New England Aquarium)

(photo: New England Aquarium)