Whale-watchers enjoy a most unusual sighting

Spinner dolphins -- out of Moorea -- and playful humpbacks -- out of Sydney -- have been my favorite sightings, but a group of whale-watching tourists at Kaikoura (New Zealand) had an extraordinary treat.

They sighted two whales of a species so rare that it wasn't even named until the mid-twentieth century.

From Stuff NZ

It is one of the world's rarest whales, having been spotted only a handful of times in the wild. Still, one lucky boatful of tourists in Kaikōura has enjoyed an "extraordinary encounter" with a pair of Shepherd's beaked whales.

It is named after George Shepherd after he discovered a whale he had never seen before washed ashore at Ōhāwe near Hāwera in 1933. The then curator of the Wanganui Museum notified the  Dominion Museum in Wellington, and two years later Tasmacetus shepherdii, aka Shepherd's beaked, was christened.

Little is known about the species, and it has never been studied extensively. What limited knowledge about Shepherd's beaked comes from beached and stranded whales.

So that makes the sighting off the shores of Kaikōura on Wednesday even more "incredible", according to Alex Cuff from Whale Watch Kaikōura.

"One of our boats came across the two individuals early in the morning just after 7am, while out tracking," Cuff said.

"Our Sea Crew Guide Annika spotted a dorsal fin at the corner of her eye then was able to watch the whales surface 4-5 times. On the same day as these whales were sighted, guests also saw two Humpback whales breaching, a mother and her calf. A spectacular and not so common sight to see!

The species generally live in deep offshore waters, well away from coasts.

"This species generally lives in deep offshore waters, well away from coasts. However, where there is a narrow continental shelf, such as the case in Kaikōura with the Hikurangi Trench, the species can sometimes be found closer to shore."

It is believed the stealth of Shepherd's beaked whales helped them to evade whalers during the whaling era, but Cuff says more contemporary issues threaten.

"Like many other cetaceans, they are unable to avoid plastic, global warming and man-made noise which are their largest threats."

This isn't the first time that the tour company has spotted the elusive whale. They have been seen twice, on Christmas Eve 2017 and a few days later on January 2, 2018.

"On the same day as these whales were sighted, guests also saw two Humpback whales breaching, a mother and her calf."

"Since Whale Watch Kaikōura was formed in 1987, 30 years at sea exploring the Kaikōura Canyon has only resulted in sporadic sightings of Beaked whales, let alone the rare and elusive Shepherd's Beaked whale."

The area is a haven for all manner of sea life, as the waters are nutrient-rich.

"Kaikōura is one of the few places in the world where Sperm whales can be seen year-round and close to shore. They congregate here because the 3km deep Kaikōura Canyon runs right up against the coast creating a rare system of sea currents that sustain an incredibly rich marine food chain," added Cuff.

To see photos and a video hit the LINK