New record of a Sowerby’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens) for the Caribbean

Abstract

Beaked whales in the genus Mesoplodon are among the world’s rarest cetaceans. A sub-adult female Mesoplodon bidens (Sowerby’s Beaked Whale) was found stranded on Isla Cabra, Monte Cristi, on the northwestern coast of the Dominican Republic in 2022, thousands of kilometers southwest of their natural home range. External and skull morphology, along with DNA analysis, confirmed the species’ identification as M. bidens. Only 11 extralimital records exist for this species, so every opportunity to document the life history of these elusive and cryptic whales is essential. We encourage local biologists to be on alert for stranding cases, tend to them expeditiously, and collect all tissues available for study to enhance our knowledge of this little-known cetacean and contribute to its conservation efforts.