Rare whale washes up in Australia
The body of a rare Omura’s whale, a species of baleen whale only discovered in 2003, has washed up on a beach in Exmouth, Western Australia.
It is the only the second time this whale has been recorded in Australia. Thought to inhabit tropical and sub-tropical waters, the whale may be mistaken for a small fin whale or Bryde’s whale. On this occasion, DNA profiling was used to help identity the whale. It also has distinctive skeletal features. View an image of the whale.
