Scientists Discover a New Endangered Whale That Lives Only in Coastal United States

Whales are some of the most magnificent mammals on the planet that inhabit the deepest parts of the world. No one can really tell if there are more species of whales that are yet to be discovered in the vast oceans. In fact, quite recently, a new yet endangered species of Rice whales were discovered living in the Gulf of Mexico.

10 A new rare whale species discovered in the Gulf of Mexico

Early last year, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a rare discovery: after years of research, they had found a new species of whale that had only been seen in the Gulf of Mexico.

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9 These whales are not similar to Bryde’s whales

The animal, also called Rice’s or the Gulf of Mexico whale, can grow to be 42 feet long and weigh up to 60,000 pounds, which is about the same as a firetruck. Scientists thought for a long time that these were Bryde’s whales, which live in all of the world’s oceans. But they didn’t know for sure that the whales in the Gulf of Mexico were different until the last few years.

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8 These newly discovered whales are threatened with extinction

The newly named whales are also in danger of going extinct, as NOAA says there are only about 50 known members of their species. Realizing this, more than 100 marine scientists signed a long open letter to the Biden administration asking for more protections for what they called “one of the most endangered marine mammal species” on the planet.

Peter Corkeron, a senior scientist and whale researcher at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, stated, “Some of us have been trying to raise the profile of this whale for many years now.”

He went on to explain that still, too many people aren’t aware of the threats these whales face and how desperately it needs protection- “It is really just the forgotten whale at the moment.”

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