Far beneath the surface, in the deep, dark waters of the ocean, a slender and shadowy figure glides through the silence. We know what it looks like—but how it lives, how many exist, or even how it behaves? That’s still a complete mystery. Not a single living specimen has ever been observed. A true ghost of the deep, this creature has kept scientists guessing for over a hundred years.
In the vast expanse of Earth’s oceans, some animals continue to escape all human eyes. One elusive species stands out—never caught on camera, never tracked in the wild.
Its first known discovery dates back to 1872, when Henry Travers found a few bone fragments and gave the animal his name. Those scraps were all the proof we had—for decades.
A life lived in the deep
This enigmatic marine mammal belongs to the Ziphiidae family, a group of deep-diving whales that can plunge to over 9,800 feet (3,000 meters) below the surface. They’re capable of holding their breath for hours, making them nearly impossible to spot. And this particular species is one of the most elusive of all.
In 150 years, only six stranded individuals have ever been recorded—all of them found on beaches along the Pacific. These rare finds are the only reason we even know the species exists.
The animal in question is the spade-toothed whale, or Mesoplodon traversii.
Measuring 5 meters long, the snout whale has a dark back, a light belly and prominent teeth visible on its lower jaw. © New Zealand Department of Conservation
In July 2024, something extraordinary happened: an adult male washed up on a beach in Otago, New Zealand. For the first time, scientists were able to examine a full specimen in detail.
What they found was stunning—a complex digestive system with nine stomachs, remnants of squid, parasitic worms, and surprisingly, tiny upper-jaw teeth that serve no function but are likely evolutionary leftovers. The whale also showed signs of trauma and had a broken jaw, which might explain its death.
A vanishing mystery
Despite the rare opportunity to study this whale, we still know next to nothing about its behavior, population, or range. But every new discovery adds a valuable piece to the puzzle—not just for this species, but for the entire Ziphiidae family.
Because it has been observed so few times, the spade-toothed whale is officially listed as data deficient by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). That status could change, but only if more encounters or studies occur.
Until then, the spade-toothed whale remains one of the greatest unanswered questions in the marine world—an enormous, intelligent animal moving silently through the ocean, still untouched by human eyes.
Angèle Ingrand
Science journalist
Fascinated by nature and zoology since childhood, this journalist chose to share her passion through journalism after completing her biology studies. Now in her third year at the journalism school in Cannes, she works at Futura, where she is dedicated to making science accessible and raising public awareness of environmental issues.
