Possible new beaked whale species discovered in Mexico

(Sea Shepherd/CONANP)

Scientists believe they may have discovered a new species of beaked whale off the western coast of Mexico.

A team of researchers working with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society first sighted the creatures three weeks ago, 100 miles north of San Benito Islands.

Based on the photographs, video and sound recordings, the experts said they are “highly confident” that the evidence points to a new whale species.

The team said that environmental genetic samples, which were collected at the time of the sighting, are expected to confirm the whales to be a previously unknown species.

Dr Jay Barlow, an adjunct professor of biological oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, in San Diego, US, said: “We saw something new.

“Something that was not expected in this area, something that doesn’t match, either visually or acoustically, anything that is known to exist.

Possible new species of beaked whale discovered off the coast of Mexico (Sea Shepherd/CONANP)

“It just sends chills up and down my spine when I think that we might have accomplished what most people would say was truly impossible – finding a large mammal that exists on this earth that is totally unknown to science.”

There are currently 23 known species of beaked whales that live in oceans around the world.

These whales are seldom seen because they spend their lives in the deep waters, far away from boats.

Beaked whales are accomplished divers – they can dive 2,000 metres below the ocean’s surface.

The whales emit distinct acoustic echolocation signals (Sea Shepherd/CONANP)

They emit distinct acoustic echolocation signals under the water that are unique to each species.

The researchers first detected an unidentified acoustic signal off the coast of California and then again north of the San Benito Islands in 2018.

At the time, they thought the sounds had come from a Perrin’s whale, another species of beaked whale.

But the acoustic signal was different to any previously recorded signal, pointing to a possible new species of beaked whale.

Then on the morning of November 17, a team of researchers on board a Sea Shepherd vessel, called Martin Sheen, observed three beaked whales swimming in nearby waters.

Peter Hammarstedt, director of campaigns for Sea Shepherd, said: “The discovery of a new species of beaked whale proves how much mystery there is left to discover in the oceans that our captains, crews, and research partners fight to defend.”