History makes a splash: World’s rarest whale steals the spotlight in cinematic encore (Video)
History has once again etched a remarkable sighting into its records, with the world’s rarest whale being captured on film for only the second time.
This exceptional event transpired in the waters off Thailand, where a pair of elusive Omura’s whales were spotted swimming together in the Andaman Sea, one of which bore a distinctive, all-white hue.
The surprise encounter occurred on the inaugural day of the new year. Aboard a charter boat in the vicinity of the popular tropical destination of Phuket, a cluster of startled tourists spotted the exceptional, milky creature, promptly filming their incredible find.
Shared with the relevant authorities and the esteemed environmental preservation group, ThaiWhales, the footage eventually found its way to admirers globally via a Facebook post on January 5. The group wrote that the groundbreaking report was a “first-of-its-kind and exciting marine discovery.
Floating alongside the charter boat, viewers can witness the awe-inspiring grace and subtle majesty of these extraordinary creatures that evoked the emotions of the witnesses on board.
“Wow,” one amazed observer exclaimed, while another witness breathed a stunned, “Oh my God.”
The all-white Omura’s whale seen herein was the pioneer of its kind to be discovered in Thailand, informed Thon Thamrongnawasawat from ThaiWhales, making it a considerably notable event. The peculiar animal’s presence was promptly reported to the Thai Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, who initiated an immediate search for the uncommon specimen.
The expedition, though not successful in locating the white Omura’s, did identify the presence of four more of this rare species residing around Phi Phi Islands, Honeymoon Island, and Coral Island, reported the Daily Mail.
According to Whale and Dolphin Conservation specialists, Omura’s whales are the neoteric addition to the vast catalogue of mammalian species. Initially discovered in 2003 in their deceased state, these whales were first spotted basking in life in 2015.
The unique creatures display long, slender physiques that lend them a serpentine appearance. With small, sharply hooked fins and a single ridge adorning their foreheads, they scale up to 40 feet (over 12 metres) and can weigh a staggering 44,000 pounds.
These enigmatic creatures are predominantly inhabitants of tropical and warm seas. Regrettably, scientific knowledge on the Omura’s whales remains severely limited, leaving researchers yearning to understand their numbers, spread, and possible variances in their physical traits.
