You’d think a whale would be hard to miss.
But for decades, scientists didn’t realize that one of the rarest whales on Earth was living in the Gulf of Mexico just offshore of the Florida Panhandle.
"This extremely rare whale lives pretty much 60 miles due south of Pensacola," said Laura Engleby, who recently retired from NOAA Fisheries after serving as chief of the Marine Mammal Branch for the agency’s Southeast Region. "So it is right in our backyard."
The species is now known as Rice’s whale. Fewer than 100 are believed to remain, making it one of the most endangered large whales on the planet.
RELATED: Only 51 of these U.S. whales remain. Little has been done to prevent their extinction
Engleby, who now chairs the Rice’s Whale Collaborative Network Steering Committee, will speak Friday in Pensacola about the discovery of Rice’s whales and the conservation challenges facing the species. The talk will kick off the 2026 Gulf Coast Whale Festival.
A whale hidden in plain sight
For years, researchers assumed the whales occasionally seen in the Gulf were Bryde’s whales — a species found in warm oceans around the world.
"For a long time, they were so rare that scientists didn't see them very often," Engleby said. "Then, when they did it was assumed that they were a Bryde’s whale."
A clue that something else was happening appeared decades ago in Pensacola.
"They were first described back in 1965 when a 'Bryde’s whale — which now we know was a Rice’s whale — stranded in Pensacola," Engleby said.
Decades later, genetic research showed the Gulf whales were something else entirely: a distinct species found nowhere else on Earth.
In 2021, scientists formally named it Rice’s whale.
"There are no other Rice’s whales anywhere else in the world," Engleby said. "They’re only in the Gulf of Mexico."
Why the whales matter
Rice’s whales inhabit deep waters along the Gulf’s continental shelf, where scientists say they play an important role in the ecosystem.
"They're like the gardeners of the Gulf," Engleby said.
She said the whales dive deep — sometimes more than 700 feet — to feed near the seafloor.
"Then they come to the surface to breathe, and when they do that they're bringing up all the nutrients that fuel the plankton that fuel the entire food chain," Engleby said, "from the snapper we eat to the marlin we chase."
A whale in working waters
But the same waters the whales depend on are also some of the busiest in the Gulf.
Shipping traffic, fishing fleets, and offshore energy development all operate in the same region where the whales live.
"The Gulf is a very industrialized place," Engleby said. "And they have to contend with a lot of things like noise. They need a quiet environment to hear each other, find each other, and find their food."
Those pressures have pushed federal regulators to consider stronger protections for the species.
In 2023, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration proposed designating critical habitat for Rice’s whales along portions of the Gulf continental shelf, generally in waters between about 330 and 1,300 feet deep.
"Critical habitat is really targeted toward any kind of federal agency that's taking an action that may have an adverse impact on your habitat or result in any kind of jeopardy to the species," Engleby said.
The proposal has drawn criticism from some oil and gas industry groups that warn the rule could complicate offshore development. Environmental organizations argue stronger protections are necessary if the species is going to survive.
Federal regulators have delayed a final decision until 2027 while they review scientific and economic impacts.
Engleby said the whales can recover if several conditions are met.
"This species can come back," she said. "But they need time, they need to reduce their threats, and we need people who care."
She said the challenge will be balancing conservation with the Gulf’s industrial economy.
"We all have to figure out how to coexist," Engleby said. "The Gulf has a lot of really important industry, and the whales rely on the same ecosystem."
Why awareness matters
Most people will never see a Rice’s whale. The animals live far offshore in water roughly a thousand feet deep and rarely surface dramatically.
"They're essentially invisible to us," Engleby said.
But she says public awareness still matters.
"Awareness is one of the most powerful things we have to help these whales," Engleby said. "It's not that awareness alone saves the whales, but it builds community — and what community does and the policies that community supports."
Scientists also rely on reports from people who encounter the whales offshore.
"If you're out on the water and you see one, please report it," Engleby said. The number to call is 1‑877‑WHALE‑HELP (877-942-5343).
Engleby will speak on Friday, March 6, at 6 p.m. at Waterboyz, 380 North Ninth Avenue in Pensacola. The talk kicks off the 2026 Gulf Coast Whale Festival.
The festival continues Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gulfside Pavilion on Pensacola Beach and will feature educational exhibits, marine science groups, and family activities focused on Gulf wildlife and conservation.
"At the end of the day," Engleby said, "this is a story not just about the whale but about all of us and our relationship to the Gulf that we all love so much."
