An extraordinary discovery has been made in the Gulf of Mexico—a rare and uniquely American whale species that could have significant implications for the oil drilling industry. According to the Washington Post, despite the critically endangered status of the “Rice’s whale,” Big Oil is determined to maintain its lease in these highly profitable waters. The identification of Rice’s whale is relatively recent, with scientists confirming the presence of a distinct species in the Gulf after a deceased whale washed ashore in 2019. In 2021, a scientific paper officially recognized the whale as Rice’s whale, honoring Dale Rice, the biologist who first identified it. However, this revelation brought dire news—only 50 individuals are believed to exist, and the responsibility to protect Rice’s whale falls solely on the United States.
Peter Corkeron, a renowned whale biologist, reveals the exceptional nature of this American species. “This is the only whale in the world that resides exclusively within the waters of one nation,” explains Corkeron to the Post. “I initially proposed naming it the ‘American whale.'” The drilling industry poses serious threats to whale populations, including oil spills, deafening noise pollution, ship collisions, and entanglement in nets and gear. Following the Deepwater Horizon spill of 2010, for example, it was estimated that one-fifth of the entire Rice’s whale population perished. Kristen Monsell, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, emphasizes that “the scientific evidence is clear—these whales cannot survive in an environment dominated by heavy industry. It would be a devastating tragedy to witness the extinction of this newly recognized species so soon after its identification.”
However, lobbyists representing the oil and gas industry do not share the same concerns. When the National Marine Fisheries Service recently designated 28,000 square miles in the Gulf as a critical habitat for Rice’s whales, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management excluded 6 million acres of that habitat from an upcoming oil leasing auction. Subsequently, offshore drilling companies and certain lawmakers filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, resulting in a delay of the lease sale until November, as reported by Reuters. An oil lobbyist argues that removing the specified acreage from the lease “circumvented the law, ignored science, and bypassed public input,” while Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama warns that imposing restrictions on the industry will “detrimentally impact our nation’s ability to domestically produce oil and gas in hopes of achieving energy independence.” (Interestingly, a supposed “spy” whale has appeared near a newly formed nation.)
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