Well after its discovery a decade ago, the sleek swimmer called the Omura's whale remained an enigma. Reports of live animals were vague and unconvincing, leaving the whale's habits and even its markings a mystery.  

Now, scientists are starting to piece together the secret life of the little-seen species.  

Recent expeditions off Madagascar revealed the whales devouring tiny shrimp-like creatures, as well as guzzling large mouthfuls of “dirty water"—a phenomenon scientists can't yet explain. 

“People see our photos and videos and say, ‘What are they feeding on? I don’t see anything there,’” says Salvatore Cerchio, a marine mammal biologist at the New England Aquarium and leader of the first team to document the whales’ lives.  

“Well, I don’t know yet.” (Read about the Madagascar Omura's Whale Project.) 

The whales’ seemingly invisible food supply only adds to the mystique of the Omura's whale, whose habitat, lifestyle, and social lives make them