The Ginkgo-Toothed Beaked Whale

Toshio Kasuya

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The Ginkgo-Toothed Beaked Whale, Japanese Beaked Whale, Ginkgo Beaked Whale, or Mesoplodon ginkgodens is known to be 7 feet at birth growing to be 15 1/2 to 17 feet long. They can weigh between 1.5 to 2 tons and have a diet mainly of squid or octopus and small fish. Their range is unknown but they have been sighted in the North Pacific, Indian Ocean, Sea of Japan, and South Pacific. They are named after the male's distinctive tooth, which is shaped like a Ginkgo tree, a common tree in Japan. They have a dark body color with white spots and blotches around their navel. There is little known about this creature and it is rarely seen.

Andrea Vanessa & Erica @ the Advanced Technologies Academy