What you need to know about the Rice whale, a rare species in the way of Trump’s plans for more drilling in the Gulf

One of the world’s rarest whales lives in just one place: the Gulf of Mexico, where the Trump administration wants to expand oil and gas drilling that scientists fear could push the monster to extinction.

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Endangered Rice’s whales spend their entire lives in the bay, where they are vulnerable to shipwrecks, noise pollution, oil spills and climate change – all of which could increase with more drilling, scientists said. Other animals, including endangered manatees and endangered sea turtles, may also be at risk, experts said.

As the Iran war continues to drive up energy prices, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked national security to seek an exemption from the endangered species law, which makes it illegal to harm or kill species on the protected list. The rare species committee approved the request on Tuesday.

What is known about Rice’s whale?

It is the only species of whale that lives year-round in the Gulf of Mexico, where there are fewer than 100 — and possibly fewer than 50 — left, scientists said.

Rice’s whale, recognized as a unique species in 2021, is usually found in a narrow area in the northeastern part of the Gulf, in waters 100 to 400 meters (328 to 1,312 feet) deep.

They’re picky eaters, diving for fat fish — especially silver-rag driftfish — during the day and resting near the surface at night, meaning they “live on the edge,” said Jeremy Kiszka, a professor of life sciences at Florida International University.

That’s because they dive hard for a certain type of food that can be affected by dredging and other changes in the harbor, and they are vulnerable to attacks by ships at night, Kiszka said.

How else could drilling for oil and gas endanger them?

Noise can disrupt the whales’ foraging behavior, while global warming — tied to the burning of fossil fuels, including oil and gas — could change their fish habitat, Kiszka said. Whales are also vulnerable to pollution, with large numbers of juveniles believed to have died in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

“What we see today is just a species … that is less fortunate in many ways: a small home, a special diet and living in a place that is not easy before,” because of the effects of humans, Kiszka said.

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Many of the effects of climate change are “burned in,” meaning they will continue even if fossil fuels are eliminated today, said Letise LaFeir, head of conservation and management at the New England Aquarium.

But the Trump administration’s proposal “only compounds the local risks with long-term risks,” LaFeir said.

What about other types?

Although the government’s report specifically mentions Rice’s whales, other endangered and threatened animals may also be harmed by oil spills or other hazards, scientists said.

“The ocean is interconnected, so when there’s this kind of action somewhere, it has effects throughout the water,” LaFeir said.

For example, hundreds of sea turtles – including the endangered Kemp’s Ridley and loggerheads – are rescued and rehabilitated each year before being released into the Atlantic Ocean and swimming for their nesting sites in the Gulf.

Michael Jasny, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s marine conservation project, said the consequences could be significant.

“It’s … It’s every endangered or threatened species in the Gulf of Mexico,” he said.

‘What is God’s group?’

It was established in 1978 as a way to exempt projects from the protection of the Endangered Species Act if a cost-benefit analysis concluded that it is the only way to achieve economic benefits for the national or regional interests.

The seven-member committee is chaired by the secretary of the interior, with five other federal and state officials each receiving one shared vote. Five votes are required for release.

READ MORE: A whale stranded in Germany’s Baltic Sea is weakened as its hope of returning to the Atlantic Ocean fades.

Before Tuesday, the committee had issued only two cuts. The first was for the construction of a dam in a part of the Platte River that was considered an important habitat for cranes, although the solution that was negotiated won great protection that led to the improvement of the environment in general. The second was to cut down trees in the spotted owl area in the north, but that application was withdrawn after environmental groups sued, arguing that the committee’s decision was political and violated legal procedures.

Jasny fears that the Trump administration wants to eliminate strict vetting of future releases and “turn this … into something that can be requested at any time, for almost any purpose.”

If it can be done for drilling in the Gulf, he said, “why California? Why Alaska?”

“If you declare a state of emergency to kill sea turtles and manatees and whales in the Gulf, you know there are no safe species.”