"Fewer than 100 Rice’s whales remain on Earth. Here’s what they sound like when they communicate.

They live only in the Gulf of Mexico, where air guns firing sonic blasts are used to survey the ocean floor for oil and gas.

The low frequency of the blasts overlaps with the frequency of the calls of the whales.

The Gulf of Mexico, which the Trump administration calls the Gulf of America, is one of the noisiest bodies of water in the United States. Air gun blasts are the loudest element there, according to research by scientists who monitor underwater acoustics. Shipping traffic is another major contributor.

The noise could affect the ability of Rice’s whales to find food and mates, scientists say. The chronic stress of living in a loud environment could be detrimental to their health."

Katherine Chui and Catrin Einhorn report for the New York Times June 1, 2026. [2]