GALVESTON, TEXAS: A pair of fishermen experienced the wildlife sighting of a lifetime this week when they spotted an extremely rare Rice’s whale swimming off the coast of Galveston. Capt Brandon Overton and Nate Ressling were fishing for billfish about 100 miles south of Galveston on Monday, July 24 when Ressling noticed an unusual movement in the sea.
Ressling, who is the owner of Southbound Fishing Team, initially believed it was a large turtle but as he drew closer to inspect, he was completely floored. "At first, I thought it was a huge turtle due to the fact that we sometimes see some really big ones out there," he told KHOU-11, adding "I turned the boat around to investigate. As soon as we got close, I saw a water spout from its blowhole and knew we had found a whale." Overton, the owner of Cbandit Charters in Texas City, said he was taking a nap when he heard Ressling yelling at him about the whale. "I was taking a nap in the back of the boat when I heard Nate yell something about a whale. I definitely thought I misheard him. However, sure enough there one was about 100 yards off our starboard bow," he said.
'A rare sight that I will never forget'
The endangered mammal appeared 'skittish' and moved further away from the boat every time the fishermen would move closer for photos. "He was definitely skittish of the boat. We tried to get some better photos of him. Every time we would move within about 100 yards he would dive again," Overton said. In photos and videos shared by Overton, the whale's dorsal fin can be seen momentarily peeking out before vanishing into the waters. Overton said there was no chance of running over the whale in the open sea, though it was wary. "Came up, blew his blowhole then went immediately back down. He was 200 yards on one side of the boat, then 200 yards on the other side of the boat within a minute," Ressling continued.
Overton said it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience as he'd never seen a whale in the Gulf of Mexico before. "It was an awesome and rare sight that I will never forget," he said. Although most people would find it wonderful to see a rare whale, Rice's whales are a source of debate. "Every charter captain out here is scared to death because of Rice's whales. We were pressured not to even talk about this," Ressling said. Environmentalists are advocating for measures like speed limits to safeguard the rare mammals in the Gulf due to their extremely low numbers.
How rare are Rice's whales?
Lisa Belskis, a spokesperson with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), told Chron while the agency cannot confirm the species of the whale based on Overton's videos, experts do believe it may have been an endangered Rice's whale based on its appearance, marine behavior, and reported location. A species of baleen whale exclusive to the northern Gulf of Mexico, Rice's whales are one of the world's most endangered mammals, with less than 100 individuals remaining in the ocean. The Rice's Whale is protected by both the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act as of 2019.
The Marine creatures are named after famous cetologist Dale Rice, who was the first to identify the species scientifically. They are more prevalent off the Florida Panhandle in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico but the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stated that sound recordings have shown their existence close to the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, 100 miles offshore of Galveston. Despite being smaller than other whales, they may reach lengths of up to 42 feet and weigh up to 30 tonnes, or 60,000 pounds, which is five times as much as an elephant. Rice's whales have a streamlined body, with a slender and pointed pectoral fin. The Mammals are dark gray on top with a pale or pink belly.
