Rice’s Whale Was Recognized as a New Species in 2021
Rice’s whale was recognized as a distinct species in 2021 after genetic and anatomical tests showed Gulf of Mexico whales were different from Bryde’s whales.
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Rice’s whale is a rare baleen whale found year-round in the Gulf of Mexico. Scientists formally recognized it as a distinct species in 2021 after genetic evidence and anatomical features, especially differences in the skull, showed that these whales were separate from Bryde’s whales. The whales had been known and observed before 2021, but they had generally been classified as Bryde’s whales or related whales rather than as their own species. Research has since shown that Rice’s whales have a very restricted range and a very small population, with recent estimates around 50 individuals. They spend daylight hours diving toward the seafloor to feed and are often closer to the surface at night. Their small population and limited habitat make them vulnerable to vessel strikes, underwater noise, oil pollution, marine debris, fishing gear, and changes affecting their prey. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill also affected a large portion of their habitat, and scientists estimate that the population declined by as much as 22 percent after the spill. The story is therefore less about scientists suddenly finding an unknown whale and more about researchers finally recognizing that a whale population they already knew about represented a separate species.
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