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Rice's Whale

Photo: By National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) - https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/new-whale-species-discovered-in-the-gulf-of-mexico-%E2%80%94-but-its-already-going-extinct/ar-BB1d9oOU, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=99713106

Critically Endangered

Rice's Whale

B. ricei

About This Species

Recently recognized species (2021) endemic to the Gulf of Mexico, reaching up to 12.65m (41.5ft) and 27 tons, virtually identical in appearance to Bryde's whale but genetically and morphologically distinct. Found exclusively along the continental slope at 150-410m depth, feeding near the seafloor on fish rather than krill. One of the world's most critically endangered large whales.

Size

up to 12.65m

Weight

up to 27 tons