The first dissection of the world's rarest whale will be carried out in Dunedin this week.
The male spade-toothed whale washed ashore at the Taieri River mouth in July.
The 5m-long whale has been carefully preserved to allow local Māori and a team of scientists to learn as much as possible about the marine mammal.
"It's quite important for us in that according to our beliefs and our traditions, this whale is a gift from Tangaroa, deity of the ocean," Ngāi Tahu's Tūmai Cassidy told 1News.
International marine biologist Dr Joy Reidenberg is among a team of scientists — from here and abroad — taking part in the dissection at Invermay Agresearch Centre in Mosgiel.
Reidenberg said the discovery "made very, very big news in the US".
"All my friends and colleagues said, 'Did you hear about the spade-toothed whale?' and I was like, 'yes, yes, yes, yes'. They said, 'Are you gonna go?' I said, 'I'm actually already here'."
Next to nothing is known about the species. While skeletons have been found before, it's rare for a whole body to wash ashore.
"For me, this is an extraordinary thing. I've been studying beaked whales for 35 years," Department of Conservation (DOC) senior marine science advisor Anton van Helden said.
The carcass has been preserved and frozen for the last five months as runaka (tribal council) and researchers carefully dissect the 1.3 tonne creature.
Scientists taking part in the dissection of the spade-toothed whale. (Source: 1News)
"I'd say it was probably on the edge of physically what we can freeze in Dunedin," Otago Museum natural history curator Kane Fleury said.
The whale is one of just seven found in the world since the 1800s. All but one was discovered in Aotearoa.
"It's a key part of the global jigsaw puzzle for understanding these animals," van Helden said.
The week-long dissection will balance science with mana whenua reconnecting with the tohorā (whale).
Following an initial inspection, experts believe the creature was a male spade-toothed whale – a species so rare that next to nothing is known about them.
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"We want to see how all the little details of how things are attached. That may not be what Māori want to see when they want to take off a piece of blubber because they want the oil," Reidenberg said.
The researchers hope to learn from the way the species has adapted to their environment over time. It will then go on display at the Otago Museum.
