New Beaked Whale Species Discovered
Scientists working off the western coast of Mexico say they have found a previously unknown species of whale.
Three beaked whales were spotted last month by a team of scientists working with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society near the San Benito Islands, some 300 miles from the US border, according to a press release published Tuesday.
Genetic sampling will confirm whether the whales are a new species.
The team had set out to try to find out what kind of whales were making an unidentified acoustic signal previously recorded in the area.
Beaked whale experts working alongside Sea Shepherd's scientific department managed to take photographs and video recordings of the three whales, and also recorded their acoustic signals using an underwater microphone.