Things to know about Rice’s whale, rare species in way of Trump plans for more Gulf drilling

Government

One of the world’s rarest whales lives in only one place: the Gulf of Mexico, where the Trump administration wants to expand oil and gas drilling that scientists fear could push the giant mammal to extinction. Endangered Rice’s whales live their entire lives in the gulf, where they’re vulnerable to vessel strikes, noise pollution, oil spills and climate change -– all of which could increase with more drilling, scientists said. Other animals, including threatened manatees and endangered sea