Whales in the Gulf of Mexico were once believed to be a population of Bryde's whales when they are in fact a completely unique species.
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The Rice's Whale
In January 2019 a rare whale washed ashore in the Florida everglades. The whale, then known to be from a population of Bryde's Whales, was thought to be its own species. Smithsonian scientists carefully transported the whale carcass across the country to the Smithsonian whale warehouse so that it could be properly studied. After examining the skeleton, researchers determined the whale was not a Bryde's whale. Several features on the whale's head, including the bone around the blowhole, were significantly different from other Bryde's whales. They named this whale the Rice's whale. Follow along in this slide show to see how the whale made its way from the everglade shores to the Smithsonian.