A rare pod of orcas washed up dead on a beach in Chile late last year, according to LiveScience. It was only the second time in recorded history the Type D orcas had been found stranded. It's the first mass stranding of these killer whales in 67 years and only the second event of its kind in recorded history, according to LiveScience. Type D orcas have one of the highest levels of inbreeding of any mammalLittle is known about Type D orcas, since they tend to live in especially turbulent and rough seas in the Southern Pacific where few boats venture. The researchers found an almost identical genetic code between Type D orcas in Chile and the skeleton of a Type D that was beached in New Zealand.

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Persons: —, Robert Pitman, LiveScience, Pitman, Andrew Foote of Organizations: Service, Oregon State University, Norwegian Institute of Science, Technology, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Chile, Gibraltar, Spain, New Zealand, Southern Pacific