Stejneger's Beaked Whale

Stejneger's beaked whale (Mesoplodon stejnegeri), sometimes known as the Bering Sea beaked whale or the Saber-toothed whale, is a poorly-known member of the genus Mesoplodon inhabiting the northern North Pacific Ocean. Leonhard Hess Stejneger collected the type specimen (a beach-worn skull) on Bering Island in 1883, which provided the description by Frederick W. True in 1885. In 1904, the first complete skull (from an adult male that had stranded near Newport, Oregon) was collected, which confirmed the species' validity. The most noteworthy characteristic of the males is the very large, saber-like teeth, hence the name.