Home / Science / Deep-Sea Ghost Captured: Ginkgo-Toothed Whale Revealed
Deep-Sea Ghost Captured: Ginkgo-Toothed Whale Revealed
11 Jan
Summary
- First live photographs of ginkgo-toothed beaked whale ended a 66-year mystery.
- A unique 43-kilohertz signal was key to identifying the elusive species.
- Whales are now known to be year-round residents off California and Mexico.

For over six decades, the ginkgo-toothed beaked whale remained an enigma, known only through deceased specimens. This changed in June 2024 when researchers achieved the first live sighting and photographs off Baja California, Mexico, ending a 66-year mystery. Their elusive nature was partly due to a distinctive 43-kilohertz echolocation click, once misattributed to other beaked whale species.
Tracking this whale involved advanced hydrophones to pinpoint its unique 'BW43' signal and skilled observers scanning the horizon. A critical biopsy sample was successfully collected, despite a comical chase involving albatrosses and breakfast rolls. DNA analysis confirmed the signal belonged to the ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, closing a 60-year identification gap.




