Ramari’s beaked whale

The Ramari’s beaked whale is a medium sized whale. It belongs to the genus Mesopolodon. Its scientific name is Mesopolodon eueu. The name comes from the Khwedam word. Khwedam is a popular language in Botswana, Angola, Namibia and South Africa. In Khwedam, the word eueu means big fish. The scientific name of the whale has been named after Khwedam language as most of the strandings of these whales are in South African territories. Also, the name honours the whale expert Ramari Stewart.

About Ramari’s beaked whale

The whale is five metres long. They are usually found in deep sea. They are larger in size. They are distributed all over the world. However, their natural history is poorly understood. They dive till 1000 metres deep into the ocean to find their prey.

Discovery of Ramari’s Beaked Whale

The Ramari Beaked Whale was known to the human history since 2011. However, it was discovered as a new species in October 2021. In 2011, a female whale was washed ashore in New Zealand. The scientists thought that the whale belonged to the True’s Beaked Whale species. However, in October 2021, it was discovered that this female whale is different from True Beaked Whale and does not belong to that species. Rather it is a new species. And named the new species as Ramari’s beaked whale. Ramari’s Beaked Whale occurs in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

How is Ramari Beaked Whale different from the True Beaked Whale?

The skull of the True’s Beaked Whale in the northern hemisphere is completely different from those in the southern hemisphere. The whales in the northern and southern hemispheres separated half a million years ago. Thus, the Ramari’s beaked whale is completely different and is a new species.