Rare Ginkgo-Toothed (Tusked) Beaked Whales Photographed Alive — DNA Collected with Crossbow Biopsy

Researchers have for the first time identified and photographed ginkgo-toothed beaked whales (Mesoplodon ginkgodens) alive at sea after a multi-year search off the coast of Mexico. The discovery began with a distinctive echolocation pulse recorded in the North Pacific and culminated in several close encounters in June 2024.

The team initially located a single beaked whale and, within days, a small group that included a battle-scarred adult male, an adult female and a calf. Because many beaked whale species look very similar at sea, the researchers collected a genetic sample to confirm the animals' identity.

During the fifth documented encounter one whale swam to within about 66 feet (20 meters) of the research vessel. A 150-pound (68-kilogram) draw-weight crossbow fitted with a modified punch-tip bolt was used to retrieve a tiny plug of skin and blubber roughly the size of a pencil eraser. The bolt did not remain in the animal and was recovered together with the tissue sample, which was then analyzed by a geneticist.

Beaked whales are the largest least-known animals left on the planet, said Robert Pitman, an affiliate of the Marine Mammal Institute. The find shows there are still multi-ton animals that had not previously been documented alive.

Ginkgo-toothed beaked whales are named for the fan-shaped appearance of the males' teeth. Most of each tooth is hidden in the jaw and gum, with only the tips visible near the corners of the mouth; as males mature those tips form short tusks. The teeth are not used for feeding — the species feeds by suction on small squid and fish — but males use their tusks as weapons during competition for mates. Females remain toothless throughout life.

Across six separate encounters the researchers documented the animals using binoculars, still photography, and hydrophones (underwater microphones). Many individuals bore scars, including circular white marks consistent with bites from cookiecutter sharks, small parasitic sharks that remove round plugs of flesh. Some whales also showed worn tusks, bruising and healed wounds from interactions with other whales.

The study was posted online on July 28 in the journal Marine Mammal Science and is scheduled to appear in the journal's January 2026 issue. Key contributors to the search and field work include Elizabeth Henderson, Robert Pitman, Gustavo Cardenas and Jay Barlow.

Why this matters

Confirming which species produce particular underwater calls allows researchers to expand passive acoustic monitoring — using towed hydrophones, drifting buoys and fixed recorders — to map where these whales occur, estimate population sizes, and assess threats from human activities such as high-seas fisheries and naval sonar. The team now plans targeted searches for Perrin's beaked whale (Mesoplodon perrini) and two other beaked whale species that have not yet been documented alive.

The discovery highlights the value of combining acoustic detection, persistent field effort and minimally invasive genetic sampling to reveal previously undocumented populations of deep-diving, cryptic marine mammals.