Rice’s Whale

Rice’s Whale Latest News

Scientists fear that the USA administration’s plan to expand oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico will  push Rice’s Whales to extinction.

About Rice’s Whale

• Rice’s whales are members of the baleen whale family Balaenopteridae.
• These are most closely related to Bryde’s whales.
• In 2021, the Rice’s whale was recognized as a new species, evolutionarily distinct from other Bryde’s whales around the world.
• Appearance
  • They have three prominent ridges in front of their blowhole. Their body is sleek, and their pectoral fins are slender and pointed.
  • Rice’s whales are uniformly dark gray on top with a pale to pink belly.
  • It is a medium-sized whale sighted year-round in the northern Gulf of America (Previously known as Gulf of Mexico), with most sightings concentrated in 100-400 meter (m) depths of the northeastern 
• Distribution: It is the only whale species that lives year-round in the Gulf of America.
• Diet: They are mainly dependent on silver-rag driftfish.
• Reproduction: Rice’s whales are likely able to reproduce every 2 to 3 years, reaching sexual maturity at age nine.
• Threats: Vessel strikes, noise pollution, oil spills, and climate change.
• Conservation Status

• • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

Source: TH

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