A First: Conjoined Gray Whales

Mexican scientists have made a fascinating, if a little sad, discovery in a Baja California lagoon: conjoined gray whales. Unfortunately, the twin calves were dead, and scientists think they were miscarried before full term. While conjoined twins have been seen in other whale species, this is the first recorded case for gray whales, according to a report in the West Australian.

Researchers took the carcass for study, noting that it was only about 7 feet long, about half the length of a normal-sized calf, reports io9. It's not clear what happened to the mother whale. More images of the calves can be seen at the Guerrero Negro Verde Facebook page. Gray whales typically arrive at the Baja California peninsula this time of year from the Arctic, notes a post at PeteThomasOutdoors.com. It's a breeding ground before the trip home. (More gray whale stories.)