A cuvier beaked whale measuring almost five metres was found off Fra Ben in Qawra this afternoon.

The mammal was discovered at about 3.30 p.m. Mepa officials and a vet were on the scene to ensure there are no hazards to bathers.

It appeared to have suffered gunshots to the head, although an autopsy is to be carried out.

Nature Trust (Malta), whose marine rescue team was also on the scene, said that this type of whale  is so rarely seen that almost everything known about it  has come from studying stranded animals.

Cuvier's beaked whale has a tendency to strand more often than any other species of beaked whales. Stranded specimens have been noted in all oceans of the world except in both polar regions--an indication of an extremely wide distribution.

Cuvier's beaked whale has a robust body and a small head which is about ten percent of its body length. Its forehead slopes to a poorly defined short beak, and its mouth turns upward, giving it a goose-like profile. This whale has a depression behind the blowholes which ends in a distinct neck. Its blow is small and not very noticeable and is projected slightly forward and to the left.

One of its more interesting features is that in adult males two large teeth about 2 inches long (5 cm) protrude from the tip of the lower jaw. The males use these teeth in fights with each other over females. For their part the females have smaller, more pointed teeth that remain embedded in the gums. The lower jaw of the Cuvier's beaked whale extends well beyond the upper jaw. Like other beaked whales, the Cuvier's has two deep, V-shaped throat grooves.

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