Gulf of Mexico Whales: Discovered Last Year, Facing Possible Extinction This Year

A small, group of unique baleen whales in the Gulf of Mexico that constitute an entirely new species was discovered by scientists last year. The Gulf of Mexico whales, which can weigh up to 60,000 pounds each, are among the world's most endangered whales, and researchers believe that humans have driven them dangerously close to extinction.

Previously, it was believed that the whales in question were Bryde's whales, a species that is also present in the Gulf. However, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concluded after careful years of research that they are Rice's whales, also referred to as Gulf of Mexico whales. They have been the only baleen whales that have been found to live in Gulf waters.

The enormous animals, which have a maximum height of 41 feet, are typically found in the northeastern areas of the Gulf of Mexico between Florida and Louisiana

Dwindling Numbers

Since their discovery, scientists have issued warnings that there are probably fewer than 100 of them left, with more recent figures showing as few as 51. A letter urging immediate action was sent to the Biden administration on Thursday by a group of 100 scientists, including professors from international universities, members of environmental organizations, and former NOAA employees, in response to recent findings.

They claim that the "unique" whales may become extinct as a result of human activity.

Oil and Gas Spill and Other Threats

According to scientists, the Gulf's ongoing oil and gas development poses an obvious threat to the survival and recovery of the whale. Nearly 20% of the whales in the Gulf of Mexico are estimated to have died as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, with other animals suffering from disease and reproductive failure.

According to scientists, whales are also harmed by seismic exploration for oil and gas, which continues to dominate the acoustic environment in the Gulf region where they live, in addition to the spill that took place in 2010.

The Biden administration restored $190 million last month so that businesses could submit bids for Gulf oil and gas exploration. A deal for the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act included the distribution of that cash as well as the awarding of 307 oil and gas leases. The Rice whales' home is bordered by the lease sale area, which is located in the Gulf between Texas and Alabama.

Through November 21st, the government is accepting feedback on the environmental impact statement for the lease sales.

Along with vessels, other significant threats include fishing gear and ocean debris, especially at night as the whales rest in the upper 50 feet of the ocean.

The scientists noted that a lactating female stranded whale was discovered with injuries that were consistent with those seen in blunt force trauma. Another was seen with deformities on the spine, which is consistent with an injury resulting from a collision while free-swimming.

Hope and Worries

The baleen whales of the Gulf of Mexico are thankfully still reproducing, and prior studies on similar species have demonstrated that populations can rebound as environmental conditions improve.

Although this is the case, they cautioned that urgent action is required to reduce death rates and severe injuries as well as to ease human stressors because the Gulf of Mexico whales are in danger of going extinct.

According to scientists, their region of the Gulf should no longer be used for offshore wind farms, aquaculture, or the development of oil and gas, and marine vessels should be obligated to slow down. They added that drilling should be prohibited in areas that are outside of the whales' natural habitat, like the Mississippi Canyon because it poses a serious risk to the species.

They added that the current plans of the Biden administration to carry on with seismic drilling and exploration in the northern Gulf as well as the ongoing assessment of offshore gas and oil leasing in the region would make it more difficult for these whales to survive.

The Department of Commerce acknowledged receiving the scientists' letter and stated that it would reply to the sender via the proper channels.

The scientists concluded that the Gulf of Mexico whale is the only large whale species that live year-round in American waters, making it a special part of the Gulf's natural history. However, there aren't many on-water safeguards in place to safeguard it. The United States is likely to be responsible for the first anthropogenic extinction (extinction caused by humans) of a great whale species unless significant conservation measures are taken, CBS News reports.