First Ever Photographs of Live Ginkgo-toothed Beaked Whale Captured Off Mexican Coast

A landmark achievement in marine biology has been recorded in the waters near Baja California, Mexico. Researchers have, for the first time in history, successfully photographed a live Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon ginkgodens). Until this moment, this deep-diving species was known to science only through stranded carcasses found on beaches. This scarcity of data has long positioned the ginkgo-toothed beaked whale as one of the planet's least understood large marine mammals. The species derives its name from the distinctive shape of its paired teeth, a feature that underscores the enigmatic nature of these cetaceans.

The crucial sighting occurred in June 2024 during a research expedition aboard the vessel Pacific Storm. The team, comprising experts from Oregon State University and the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC), later confirmed the species identification using genetic testing on a tissue sample remotely collected from one of the individuals. Photographer Craig Hayslip captured the vital images, marking the inaugural instance of visual contact with a living specimen of this species in its natural habitat.

This successful observation was the culmination of years of dedicated effort tracking a specific underwater acoustic signature known as BW43. Researchers had been registering this signal since 2020. Elizabeth Henderson, the study's lead author, expressed the team's immense satisfaction after such a long and focused pursuit of this objective. Initially, the BW43 signal had been mistakenly attributed to Perrin's beaked whale. However, subsequent analysis conducted by Henderson and her collaborators from Mexico and the United States definitively linked the sound to the ginkgo-toothed beaked whale. This meticulous five-year endeavor yielded new insights into the coloration patterns observed on juvenile individuals of this deep-sea mammal. The findings were officially slated for publication in the peer-reviewed journal Marine Mammal Science in 2025.

Beyond the visual documentation, the scientists recorded an adult male bearing numerous scars consistent with attacks from cookiecutter sharks. They also observed a female accompanied by a calf exhibiting a notably pale coloration on its head. Ginkgo-toothed beaked whales generally inhabit tropical and temperate zones across the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Their known range is based on sixteen strandings recorded along the coasts of Japan, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, and Australia. Like many other members of the beaked whale family, these animals are highly susceptible to sonar interference, which can disrupt their feeding behaviors and potentially induce decompression sickness if they surface too rapidly.

Additional threats to their survival include plastic pollution and underwater noise, particularly in busy shipping lanes such as the Gulf of California, where up to 70% of deep-diving species may suffer from disorientation. The data gathered not only confirms the presence of Mesoplodon ginkgodens in the wild but also opens up new avenues for protecting these vulnerable ocean dwellers. Knowing their precise locations is paramount for mitigating risks associated with military activities and heavy maritime traffic. Unlike more studied species, such as fin whales, beaked whales necessitate immediate action to establish marine sanctuaries to shield their environment from human impact. Examination of the stomach contents from previously recovered specimens indicated that their diet consists primarily of cephalopods, setting them apart from surface-level predators. This breakthrough discovery is expected to spur broader international measures aimed at regulating underwater noise and pollution levels.