Locals found a rare beaked whale beached on Newcastle this morning. “For a very, very long time not much has been known about them and so every time we even find one that is dead on the beach, it is a treasure trove for the scientists”, said ORCCA vice-president Shona Lorigan.

Marine experts are examining the rare beaked whale. The three to four-metre-long animal was found dead on Redhead Beach, south of Newcastle, this morning.

Marine experts have been called in to examine the whale and take specimens.

Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORCCA) president Ronny Ling said the find was extremely rare.

“It’s a deep sea animal called a beaked whale,” he said.

“We’re yet to identify the exact species but what we can tell you about these animals is they are rare animals.

“You normally only find them when they wash up or when they strand and they are very, very seldom seen at sea, so it has great scientific value there. It is rare everywhere and not just Australia”.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-14/rare-whale-washes-up-on-a-newcastle-beach/5811774