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Federal Protection Sought for “Moby Dick” in the Gulf of Mexico

Date
December 12, 2011
Contact
Taylor Jones (303) 353-1490
In This Release
Wildlife  
#EndTheWarOnWildlife, #EndangeredSpeciesAct
Washington, DC –WildEarth Guardians has petitioned the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to list the sperm whale population in the Gulf of Mexico as a “distinct population segment”(DPS) under the Endangered Species Act. Although the worldwide population of sperm whales is listed as “endangered,” the resident population in the Gulf faces unique threats including continued oil and gas development, high levels of shipping traffic and noise, and effects from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Protecting sperm whales in the Gulf as a DPS would ensure that this genetically, morphologically, and behaviorally distinct population remains apart of the Gulf ecosystem.

Moby Dick, the subject of Captain Ahab’s obsession in the classic book, was a sperm whale.

“At the time Moby Dick was written, sperm whales were indiscriminately killed for the spermaceti oil in their heads,” said Taylor Jones, Endangered Species Advocate for WildEarth Guardians. “Now the Gulf whales are in danger because of the exploitation of oil in their habitat.”

Sperm whales reproduce very slowly. Females have only one calf at a time and nurse offspring for multiple years. NOAA scientists have determined that as few as three human-caused sperm whale deaths per year in addition to natural deaths could jeopardize the future of the Gulf population.

Sperm whales in the Gulf are unique from other populations in several ways. They are a resident population that generally does not migrate beyond the Gulf. They use a different repertoire of vocalizations than other sperm whales. These vocalizations, called “codas,” have distinct patterns and are likely culturally learned, much like human language. Sperm whales in the Gulf have a “dialect”that is rarely encountered outside the Gulf. They are smaller than other sperm whales and group in smaller numbers, and have been observed foraging in shallower water than other sperm whales. Because of these unique adaptations,if the Gulf sperm whales were to become extirpated, there is little evidence that other sperm whales would or could colonize the area.

“We must provide protection to these intelligent giants in the Gulf of Mexico,” concluded Jones.“After two and a half centuries of unregulated whaling, humanity owes this species every opportunity for recovery.”