Happy Earth Day, everyone! Today's animal of the day is Rice's Whale (Balaenoptera ricei)!
Also known as the Gulf of Mexico whale, this critically endangered species of baleen whale is only found in the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico. I'll be really upfront with you all, this animal was not chosen randomly. I specifically saved it to cover on Earth Day, since a few weeks ago, the United States government decided that it was ok to let this species go extinct so they could let the oil and gas industry drill for oil in the Gulf of Mexico, or the "Gulf of America" as our current president has renamed it. I'll go into more details about this soon, but I want everyone to know that who you vote/voted for matters. If you think for one second that social justice and environmental issues aren't connected, then you're dead wrong. Of course, the people who don't care if they kill a bunch of immigrants or trans people don't care about a bunch of whales, but I do, and I hope you do too.
The first possible sighting of Rice's whales occurred all the way back in 1790 by the American whaling ship Keziah. At the time, they believed they were hunting a fin whale, which they often referred to as "finbacks". There are at least 49 other possible Rice's whale sightings that occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries, which were all incorrectly labeled as "finbacks". The reason marine biologists suspect that these whales were actually Rice's whales instead of fin whales is because Rice's whales are the only species of baleen whale to inhabit the Gulf of Mexico all year round. Other whales, like blue whales, sei whales, common minke whales, and fin whales, will sometimes visit the Gulf of Mexico for a short time, but none of them stay there long since they need to migrate to colder waters in order to feed.
These whales wouldn't be formally recognized by scientists until 1965, when cetologist (a marine biologist who specializes in whales) Dale Rice would describe them as a unique population of Bryde's whale. However, it wouldn't be until the 1990s that marine biologists realized just how isolated Rice's whales were from other types of whales. Then, in 2014, DNA analysis would lead scientists to suspect that they might be their own subspecies of Bryde's whale (pronounced Brutus' whale for some reason) instead of just a population. It took until 2021 for scientists to finally realize that they also weren't just a subspecies, but their own fully separate species. The reason it took so long for scientists to finally figure this out is due to how rare these whales have always been. Not only are they rarely encountered, but marine biologists also didn't want to risk injuring or even killing one of these super-rare whales by taking a DNA sample. The only reason they were finally able to get enough genetic and skeletal analysis to prove their full species status is that in 2019, an already dead individual ended up washing ashore in Florida's Everglades National Park.
Photo credit: National Park Service
Rice's whales are almost identical to Bryde's whales in appearance, and can usually only be told apart by the sound they make, genetics, and their skeletal structure. However, Rice's whales can also be identified by their three distinct head ridges, which are usually only visible if you're looking at the animal from above, so it's not always the most reliable method of telling them apart. These whales are mostly a dark grayish color with pale, somewhat pinkish underbellies. Their size varies greatly amongst individuals, with the largest female being recorded at around 41.5 ft long and the largest male at around 39.6 ft. There was a possible 41.5 ft long specimen that washed up on the shores of Louisiana in 1982, but it's unconfirmed if this was actually a Rice's whale or not, since no one at the time knew to look to see if it had the three distinct head ridges. However, most sightings seem to be of smaller adults, usually between 23 and 33 ft long.
Photo credit: Macrophyseter
Little is known about the feeding behavior of Rice's whales, but we know that they don't feed on pelagic schooling fish like Bryde's whales do, since they've never been observed feeding at/near the surface where these fish live. Based on data gathered from a whale tagged in 2015, we know Rice's whales spend most of the day at depths of around 889 ft, which is close to the sea floor. It's theorized that these whales may feed on deep-sea lanternfish and hatchetfish near the sea floor, which might help them avoid competition with other cetaceans. But as I said, that's just a theory.
It's also unknown why these whales have such a small range, and that might remain a mystery forever since they're on the brink of extinction. While their only natural predators are killer whales, human activity has caused their population to shrink to just around 50 individuals! With 18 confirmed females and 14 males. This makes them the second most endangered species of cetacean, right after the vaquita, which is also exclusively found in the Gulf of Mexico. Because of their low numbers, this species is at serious risk of inbreeding. Normally, in order for a population to avoid inbreeding for the short term, they need at least 50 individuals and at least 500 to avoid it in the long term. Luckily, animals with naturally small ranges tend to have some natural genetic defenses against the negative impacts of inbreeding, so the species isn't beyond saving yet. But, since there are already so few of them, it's extremely important to protect every single individual both to keep their numbers up and to avoid inbreeding as much as possible.
Rice's whale with a back injury caused by a boat strike (photo credit: National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Science Center)
Oil spills and other types of pollutants seem to be the biggest threat to these whales, and as I said before, the "God Squad" appointed by Donald Trump just decided to allow for oil drilling in their habitat, which significantly increases the chances of oil spills occurring. Increased activity in the Gulf of Mexico will also increase the likelihood of these whales getting hit by boats, as well as increase noise pollution. Whales rely heavily on sound to communicate with one another, and the sound of boats running and people drilling for oil can drown out the whales' calls to each other, making it hard for them to find mates or food. Plastic consumption and becoming tangled in abandoned fishing nets also appear to be major threats to Rice's whales. These whales have just as much of a right to exist as we do, and yet our species is the direct cause of their decline. I hope that by spreading the word about them, I can help save the species, even if it's just in a super tiny way. I also want to donate to one of the several organizations that are planning on filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration to hopefully reverse the Satan Squad's ruling. However, I want to do more research about which one I should donate to first, so I'm going to do that, and then I'll let you guys know which one in the comments and leave a link so you can donate too if you want.
Special thanks to @scarletseacollectspronouns for suggesting that I do Rice's whale. Sorry, it took a while to do, like I said, I wanted to save them for Earth Day.
