Scientists Find New Species of Whale

Japanese scientists say they have identified a new species of whale — a remarkable discovery if confirmed.

The animal is a type of baleen, the family of whales that strain tiny plankton and other food from seawater, the researchers say.

“Can you imagine? An animal of more than 10 meters was unknown to us even in the 21st century,” said Tadasu Yamada of Tokyo’s National Science Museum, the senior author of the study that appears in this week’s issue of the journal Nature.

“Most baleens grow to enormous proportions, like the blue whale, which at 75 feet long and more than 100 tons is believed to be the largest animal that has ever lived.”

This will be great for the whale hunting industry, don’t you think?