Rice's whale in the spotlight at Smithsonian Symposium

Right now, there are less that 100 Rice's whales left. | Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Laura Dias (Permit #14450)

The Gulf of Mexico is home to the one of the most endangered whales on the planet - the Rice's whale. Scientists have known about this extraordinary animal for decades, but it was not until 2021, after a decade of study in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon, that the Rice's whale was finally recognized as its own unique species and a part of our country's unique natural history. Now, with fewer than 100 of these whales left, scientists agree that stronger protections are critical to save them from the first ever human-caused whale extinction.

Last fall, experts in marine mammal research, conservation and management came together at the Smithsonian Institution to discuss Rice's whales. This full day symposium was organized in partnership with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries and the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission.

We've put together a short video of the event. It highlights facts about the whales, describes the current threats to their survival and what we can do moving forward to save them.

There is growing supportalong the Gulf and across the nation to protect these whales. As Dr. Andrew Read put it at the Smithsonian: "The American public loves whales. The American public loved whales in 1972 so much that they demanded that Congress pass the Marine Protection Act. They don't love whales any less today, so let's harness that energy that the American people have when we talk with our politicians."

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