Associate Prof Steve Dawson and teaching fellow Sophie Fern, both of the Otago marine science department, and Otago Museum natural science research and interpretation co-ordinator Lucy Rowe examined the mammals at the university's Portobello marine laboratory complex earlier this week.
After dying and being washed ashore on the Otago coast earlier this year, the creatures had been kept frozen until being studied this week by more than 40 university students, who undertook detailed dissections.
The bones of the creatures will become part of the Otago Museum's scientific collections.
The about 2m-long whale dolphin was found at Kaka Point, in the Catlins, in January and the 1.2m-long baby pygmy whale was found at Papanui Inlet, on the Otago Peninsula, in March.
"This is an oceanic dolphin that's very seldom seen close to the coast," Prof Dawson said.
The detailed examination was a "fantastic opportunity" to learn more about the two species, given that much about their biology and behaviour was still unknown, he said.
It had been a "great day" for the students because they might never have another chance to study in such detail the biology of these creatures, whose bodies were seldom available for research.
The whale dolphin - found to be a well-nourished mature female - was examined by Prof Dawson and more than 30 senior marine science students.
The baby pygmy whale, whose lungs showed signs of pneumonia, was examined by Otago geologist Associate Prof Ewan Fordyce, and a group of geology students, who also study the fossils of ancient marine creatures.
