[Animals] They were patrolling the US coast, they thought they found debris, but it was specimens of a rare species

[FNX Magokiler]

Through a video, United States Coast Guard officials shared their surprise at seeing three of the most endangered whales in the world swimming peacefully in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, their only habitat. It was last weekend when, during a routine exploration, police mistook the cetaceans for a pile of debris.

Officers at the Venice station spotted Rice's whales while patrolling an operation to protect fish and other marine resources. What they initially believed to be waste became the discovery of three animals that can measure almost eight meters in length and weigh more than two tons.

“Venice station presents to you: Rice's whale. It is thought that there are less than 100 individuals of this species left,” they wrote in the Facebook post. In the 16-second video you can see the three huge specimens swimming off the coast of Louisiana. “Currently, the Rice whale count is reduced to 51 individuals in the wild,” notes National Geographic; “This is a really small po[CENSORED]tion that is seriously threatened by industrial and fishing vessels. In fact, the situation is so serious that it appears on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).”

A document sent to President Joe Biden calls for special attention to be paid to the conservation of the Rice whale, otherwise “the United States is likely to cause the first anthropogenic extinction of a large species.” The near disappearance is also a result of the drilling and exploitation of fossil fuels.

 

 

The video that was published on social networks caused a large number of comments and reactions. “Wow, what a beautiful place”; “Hoping the majestic beauties stay away from extinction. It depends on us, the human race”; "Amazing! How exciting for all of you to witness them. Thank you for sharing”, were some of the messages that stood out.

What are Rice whales like?
This species of cetaceans belongs to the baleen whale family Balaenopteridae. The National Marine Fisheries Service, a research agency of the United States government, points out that they only live in the Gulf of Mexico and are protected by law.

Unlike other marine animals that have a single crest on their face, these have three prominent ridges in front of their blowhole. “Rice whales are uniformly dark gray above with a pale to pinkish belly,” explains NOAA Fisheries. The size of its head measures approximately a quarter of its entirety. “Scientists are conducting research to better understand the distribution of whales, such as whether they use the western Gulf of Mexico and Mexican waters of the southern Gulf of Mexico, and how often they may be in other areas.”

THE NATION

 

https://www.lanacion.com.ar/estados-unidos/patrullaban-la-costa-de-eeuu-creyeron-encontrar-escombros-pero-se-trataba-de-ejemplares-de-una-rara-nid26092023/