Protecting the Rice’s whale
Threatened with Extinction
Tell Your federal elected officials to Keep All Protections for the Critically Endangered Whale!
Comment before July 6, 2026
The Gulf of Mexico’s resident whale is critically endangered. We must act quickly to keep this whale from going extinct.
The Problem
There are 51 rice’s whales in the gulf of mexico .
The Rice’s whale is one of the world’s rarest and most threatened whales, and it lives only in the Gulf of Mexico and nowhere else in the world. While researchers have known about and studied the whales since the 1960s, in recent years the public interest in Rice’s whales has exploded.
For many years the whales were considered by scientists to be a subpopulation of Bryde’s whales, a species of baleen whale that ranges across temperate regions worldwide. But some scientists thought the whales were different enough to be their own unique species, yet there was not enough scientific evidence to make that determination. That changed in 2021.
In 2021, scientists confirmed what many thought to be true: the Gulf population of Bryde’s whales is its own distinct species of whale, which scientists named Rice’s whale after whale biologist Dale Rice, who was the first to formally recognize the presence of these whales in the Gulf of Mexico. The designation as a new species came after decades of research culminating in a research paper led by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientist Dr. Patricia Rosel and published in Marine Mammal Science. Evidence for the designation came through two independent lines–the morphology of the whale’s skull, and genetic analysis showing that the Rice’s whale separated from other baleen whales at least one million years ago.
Rice’s whales can grow up to 42 feet long and weigh as much as 30 tons. They are filter-feeding baleen whales that dive deep in search of prey, mainly focusing on a small schooling fish called the silver rag driftfish. This high-fat fish is also high in calories, making it worth the effort for whales to dive deep and feed near the seabed. Rice’s whales favor the deep waters of the Desoto Canyon in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico, off of Florida, but also range along the shelf break across the Gulf The whales rest close to the surface at night, making them vulnerable to ship strikes.
NOAA conducts regular population surveys of the whales and estimates there are only around 50 animals remaining, making them critically endangered and at risk of extinction without immediate protective actions. Yet the whales are afforded no special protections beyond the minimum protections of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
The federal government has repeatedly failed to act to protect the whales from extinction, favoring the interests of big industry over protections for the whales. A lawsuit from Healthy Gulf and other conservation groups was necessary to get the Rice’s whale listed as an endangered species in 2019.
It took another lawsuit to get the federal government to designate critical habitat for the whales, which is required by law. Critical habitat is a specific geographic area essential to the conservation and recovery of an endangered species, and once designated, federal permits and actions in this area will require additional review to ensure that the whales are protected. The final critical habitat designation for Rice’s whales is expected in 2027.
Threats
NOAA Fisheries found that Rice’s whales are endangered due to their small population size and restricted range, and numerous threats posed by human activities in their habitat. The greatest threats are ship strikes, ocean noise, energy exploration and development, oil spills, and entanglement in fishing gear and ocean debris.
The oil and gas industry is the largest single threat to the survival of the whales. The vast majority of the nation’s offshore drilling happens in the central and western Gulf, creating a dangerous and chaotic environment for whales and other marine life.
Seismic surveys for new oil and gas deposits use explosions to map the seafloor, creating noise pollution that is a dangerous stressor for Rice’s whales that affects their ability to communicate, feed and navigate. Offshore energy operations generate significant vessel traffic that creates additional ocean noise and the risk of vessel strikes. Finally, oil spills and related cleanup are a severe threat that could be more likely to occur as the industry pushes to drill farther offshore in deeper and riskier locations.
The 2010 BP disaster released 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf and led to the use of nearly 2 million gallons of chemical dispersant. The spill and cleanup activities were catastrophic for Rice’s whales, with NOAA estimating the spill affected about 48% of the whale’s habitat,killed 17% of the whales and led to a 22% decline in population. Another Gulf spill of significance could lead to the extinction of the Rice’s whale.
Despite the immediate threat to Rice’s whales from the oil and gas industry, in March 2026 the federal Endangered Species Committee took the historic step of granting an exemption to the industry that removes requirements to protect Rice’s whales and over 20 species of endangered Gulf wildlife. This extreme and unprecedented action could be a death sentence for Rice’s whales.
Conservation Action Needed
First, NOAA Fisheries must designate critical habitat in the Gulf and develop a recovery plan that addresses current threats to the whale.
Second, NOAA Fisheries must immediately implement measures to protect the whales, including:
- Establish a Vessel Strike Avoidance Zone covering the Rice’s whales critical habitat, that includes measures such as slowdown zones, active observation for whales, minimum separation from whales, and potential ways to reduce nighttime vessel transits
- Limit or stop seismic surveys within the listening range of the whales core habitat;
- Restrict or prohibit oil and gas exploration and development in and around the whale’s critical habitat;
- Finally, the federal government must reverse the decision of the Endangered Species Committee and require the oil and gas industry to once again follow the law and implement protections in the Gulf for Rice’s whales and other endangered marine life
What Healthy Gulf is Doing
Healthy Gulf works with our national partners to represent Gulf coast residents in court by initiating legal action to protect Rice’s whales from illegal federal actions.
Healthy Gulf continues to be a leader in the Fight to save the Rice’s Whale.
Healthy Gulf continues to be a leader in the Fight to save the Rice’s Whale.
Healthy Gulf works with our members and supporters to send thousands of letters and emails annually to elected officials in support of protections for the whales.
Healthy Gulf hosts the annual Gulf Coast Whale Festival on Pensacola Beach every spring. With art, science, music and hands-on fun, the event celebrates whales and all marine life.
Healthy Gulf staff meet with and build relationships with Gulf residents and industries to share more about the whales and to listen to their questions and concerns. This includes recreational and commercial fishermen, port and shipping interests, conservation groups and others interested in Rice’s whales and their protection and recovery.
Now, Healthy Gulf members are demanding that NOAA Fisheries designate critical habitat in the Gulf and develop a recovery plan that addresses current threats to the whale. We are asking for vessel speed restrictions that will give these whales immediate protection from vessel strikes.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
The critically-endangered Rice’s whale is struggling to survive in an industrialized Gulf of Mexico. The Endangered Species Act provides a thorough process for protecting the whales, and it must be kept free of political interference.
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