Rice’s whale habitat auctioned up for oil and gas exploration

This afternoon, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) held Outer Continental Shelf Lease Sale 261, which offered up nearly 73 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas companies to drill–bad news for our recently discovered, highly endangered Rice’s whale.

Rice’s whales can grow to about 40 feet long and are one of the only type of baleen whales that prefer warmer, tropical waters. Today, scientists estimate that around 50 Rice’s whale are left in existence. They’re found only in the Gulf of Mexico and spend the majority of their time in shallow water, which puts them at risk from vessel strikes and entanglements. More boats and more development in the Gulf are problematic for Rice’s whales and other marine life, which makes today’s news all the more challenging.

In total, 26 companies placed bids on 1.7 million acres of ocean. Any of those acres that eventually go into production will mean more ship traffic, more noise and a greater risk of spills. All of which will imperil wildlife, like the critically endangered Rice’s whale, for years to come.

Lease Sale 261 was the last sale required by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, but will not be our last offshore drilling lease sale. Just last week, the Biden administration finalized its 2024 – 2029 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program which will extend leasing until a least 2029.

We’ve known for decades that oil and gas development in the Gulf harms wildlife and fuels an industry that drives climate change. It was just 13 years ago that the BP Deepwater Horizon spill hemorrhaged over 100 million gallons of oil and killed thousands of turtles, whales, dolphins, and seabirds. It’s estimated that 20% of all Rice’s whales died as a result of this one spill alone. They deserve a chance at survival.

We can do more to protect imperiled wildlife from the threats of oil drilling. Everyday, it becomes clearer that our transition to cleaner, more renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar is possible. Were the Biden administration to invest more in clean, renewable energy and end offshore oil and gas leasing off our coasts, it would ensure that at risk wildlife, like the Rice’s whale, don’t vanish from our oceans.

You can read our partners’ takes on today’s lease sale here.