Sighting of ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon ginkgodens) or Blainville’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris) in the Lakshadweep Archipelago, India

Ratheesh Kumar, R and Raju, Aju K and Utthamapandian, U and Tharakan, Balu and Zainul Abid, P M and Adithya Chandra, P B and Anto, Alvin (2026) Sighting of ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon ginkgodens) or Blainville’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris) in the Lakshadweep Archipelago, India. Current Science, 13 (11). pp. 1022-1024. ISSN 0011-3891

Text Current Science_2026_Ratheeshkumar R.pdf Download (6MB)

Abstract

Beaked whales are the least-studied marine mammals due to their offshore, deep-sea distribution, cryptic nature, and infrequent surface activity. The present study records observations of six individuals of either the gingko-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon ginkgodens) or Blainville’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris) during a dedicated vessel-based line transect marine mammal survey in the Lakshadweep Archipelago, between Minicoy and Kalpeni Islands. Despite the lack of substantial evidence to differentiate these two species, we have written this note given the importance of this observation in our waters and inspired by a similar undifferentiated observational record of these closely related species from the South China Sea.

Actions (login required)

View Item