Newest Whale Species Endangered

Meet The Newest Whale Species That’s Already Endangered

It’s not every day scientists discover a new whale species. In addition, it’s also rare that the new species is already classified as endangered. According to reports, that happened in 2021 when researchers discovered an extremely rare whale species called Rice’s whale. They were named after the late marine biologist Dale Rice, who first studied the whales’ unique characteristics.

Although the news was exciting, it was soon overshadowed by the fact that these filter-feeding whales are critically endangered. According to recent reports, only 51 of these majestic mammals exist today. As a result, these are one of the rarest marine mammals on Earth.

Sadly, the whales are under constant attack since their habit is right in the middle of a heavily-trafficked shipped corridor, meaning they could be struck by a vessel at any moment.

Before, 17 percent of the population was wiped out following 2010’s disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, it sickened another 18 percent, and nearly a quarter of the female population was left with reproductive issues.

With time not on their side, scientists partnered with the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration to study the species closely to combat their waning numbers.

The partnership later birthed a study published in January that used the creature’s unique vocalizations to track their migration patterns. They later learned that they move outside their primary range, swimming as far west as the coast of Texas.

“It was exciting to discover that they still regularly occur in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico,” said study leader Melissa Soldevilla. “Historic records suggest that they used to be more broadly distributed throughout the Gulf, but no whales had been seen beyond the core habitat since the 1990s.”

Scientists call on Joe Biden administration to do more to protect dwindling whale population

According to experts, understanding their movements is vital in defining their necessary habitat under the Endangered Species Act.

“Once we understand where and when the whales occur, we can determine where they overlap with human activities that may pose a threat to them,” Soldevilla noted. “This helps us identify and develop management and conservation actions to reduce the threat and improve their chances of recovery.”

The elusive Rice whales have fascinated scientists who began studying them nearly 20 years ago. However, evidence suggested they were a distinct species. All this changed after a skull washed up in the Florida Everglades in 2019.

“With this specimen, it was finally possible to put all the lines of evidence together and write the scientific paper describing the new species,” said Patricia Rosel, an NOAA research geneticist who led the study identifying Rice’s whales.

Soon after their discovery, NOAA created a plan to protect the species. This plan included reducing vessel strikes and saving the whales’ habitat from the dangers surrounding energy development.

Last October, marine scientists wrote an open letter calling on the current administration to do more for the whales.

“We really want to do everything possible to keep these guys alive and get their population going again,” said Kaitlin Frasier, a marine research assistant at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography.

“There’s a lot more research to be done, but first you have to get everybody’s attention and make sure people realize this is a real issue—before it’s too late,” she added.