Meet the Rice's Whale

With likely fewer than 100 individuals remaining, Rice's whales are one of the most endangered whales in the world. They are the only resident baleen whale in the Gulf of Mexico and are most closely related to Bryde’s (pronounced “broodus”) whales. In 2021, scientists determined that the Rice’s whale was a unique species, genetically and morphologically distinct from Bryde’s whales. Low genetic diversity, small population size, and a restricted range makes the loss of any whales particularly significant.