Rare whale stranding a first for Victoria

Shepherds beaked whale found on Australian beach
July 2012. After a public report of an unidentified dead whale at Marlo in Victoria, Australia, an exciting addition has been made to the knowledge of Victoria's marine wildlife, which will improve our understanding of the species' biology and evolution.

The whale has been identified as a Shepherd's Beaked Whale and it is the first stranding record of the species in Victoria, with fewer than five individuals stranded in all of Australia.

The Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment's Biodiversity Officer Tony Mitchell visited the site and realised immediately that he had never seen a whale like this on the Gippsland coast.

Mr Mitchell said "Given there has only been a handful of confirmed sightings of live animals anywhere in the world, it's quite incredible to have found this species washed up on Gippsland's shores. The 6.6 metre whale has a long, dolphin-like beak and is dark brown with pale sides and belly. It is distinguishable from other species by teeth in both its upper and lower jaws."

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/shepherds-beaked-whale.html

Extremely rare whale filmed for the first time ever

Throughout history, Shepherd's beaked whale a.k.a. the Tasman beaked whale has been spotted only a handful of times, as this deepwater cetacean comes up for air very briefly.

But in a happy coincidence, blue whale researchers ran into this uncommon creature off the coast of southern Australia. Explains Michael Double of the Australian Antarctic Division team, "These animals are practically entirely known from stranded dead whales, and there haven't been many of them." Check out the first footage of this beaked mammal above, and marvel in the fact that our oceans hide so many amazing animals.

http://io9.com/5887605/extremely-rare-whale-filmed-for-the-first-time-ever

AND (via Chad Arment):  

SYDNEY — Australian researchers Thursday revealed they had filmed a pod of extremely rare Shepherd's beaked whales for the first time ever.

The Australian Antarctic Division team was tracking blue whales off the coast of Victoria state last month when they spotted the reclusive mammals, which are so rarely seen that no population estimates of the species exist.

Voyage leader Michael Double said the black and cream-coloured mammals with prominent dolphin-like beaks had been spotted in the wild only a handful of times through history.

According to the Australian environment department, there have only been two previous confirmed sightings -- a lone individual in New Zealand and a group of three in Western Australia

They have never been filmed live before.

"These animals are practically entirely known from stranded dead whales, and there haven't been many of them," Double told AFP, calling the footage "unique".

"They are an offshore animal, occupying deep water, and when they surface it is only for a very short period of time."

Double said what was remarkable about the sighting was that the whale was previously thought to be a solitary creature, yet was in a pod of 10 to 12.

"To find them in a pod is very exciting and will change the guide books. Our two whale experts will now carefully study the footage to work out the whale sizes and so on and prepare a scientific paper."

The Shepherd's beaked whale, also known as the Tasman beaked whale, was discovered in 1937 but little is known about them.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iI1NnehR-s-sKDNygKUA5e5Q4ZAg?docId=CNG.46afe210f3a4daba53d5421f5e7c7364.661