Surprising Rare Whales Discovered Off Coast Of Texas

We hear quite a bit about climate change, environmental disasters, and humans' impact on animals. Here is some good news for a change.

Kiii 3 TV in Corpus Christi, TX, reports the sightings of two Rice Whales about 60 miles off the Texas coast. That is big news because they are an endangered species.

With less than 100 of them left in the world, the presence of two Rice's whales off the coast of Corpus Christi is a stark reminder of the success of our conservation efforts. 

"So the Rice's whale was spotted April 11 by NOAA, 55 nautical miles, which is about 60 miles off of Corpus Christi," Harte Research Institute Endowed Chair for Marine Policy and Law Kristina Alexander said. 

Alexander said Rice's whales are an endangered species. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, fewer than 100 are in the Gulf of Mexico.

"They like water between 100 and 400 meters deep," she said.

A spokesperson for NOAA said these two whales were found in an area 224 meters deep while conducting an aerial survey.

According to Alexander, it's not really a question of what brought the whales to our area but how long they've been here and why they're now being detected.

"So it's pretty exciting to find two so far from where we thought they were because that might mean there are more of them than we thought," she said.

Another giant tourist that always seems to wow people is the manatee.

"We do get manatee sightings, but it's rare, probably one or two a year," HRI Director of Community Engagement Jace Tunnell said. Tunnell said the most recent spotting was on North Padre, quite far from Tampa, Florida, where the mammals typically reside.

"You usually see them around canals, and people will have their hoses and stuff that will hang out. They need fresh water to survive, but we tell people not to do that; it's illegal," he said.