⤢ Full sizeCritically EndangeredPhoto: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Critically Endangered
Rice's Whale
Balaenoptera ricei
About This Species
Lengthup to 12.65m
Weightup to 27 tons
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.
Others in Balaenoptera
Balaenopteridae
Common Minke Whale
B. acutorostrata
Least Concern
Balaenopteridae
Antarctic Minke Whale
B. bonaerensis
Near Threatened
Balaenopteridae
Sei Whale
B. borealis
Endangered
Balaenopteridae
Bryde's Whale
B. edeni
Data Deficient
Balaenopteridae
Blue Whale
B. musculus
Endangered
Balaenopteridae
Omura's Whale
B. omurai
Data Deficient
Balaenopteridae
Fin Whale
B. physalus
Vulnerable