Your Signature is Needed: This animal could soon be extinct

Picture this: a mama whale and her calf frolic through Gulf of Mexico waters. With large, round bodies and torpedo-shaped noses, these gentle giants are Rice’s whales. Picture this: a mama whale and her calf frolic through Gulf of Mexico waters. With large, round bodies and torpedo-shaped noses, these gentle giants are Rice’s whales. Mama leads her baby up to the surface for a breath of fresh air, when – WHAM! A ship SLAMS into the mama Rice’s whale, KILLING HER! The ship carries her body all the way to Tampa Bay, the dead whale draped across the bow. Without the baby whale’s mother, it likely passes away soon after. This tragic story is real, Friend. Rice’s whales are down to just 51 individuals – making it one of the MOST ENDANGERED marine mammals in the world. Ship strikes and spills from oil drilling are some of the main causes of death. The National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration could protect Rice’s whale habitat and implement other conservation measures to protect these endangered creatures. Doing so could also help block oil and gas leases, reduce industry shipping traffic, and protect coastal communities from offshore oil and gas development! [Friend, your signature is missing! Please tell NOAA by 11:59pm TONIGHT: designate critical habitat for Rice’s whale and STOP dangerous offshore drilling! >>]( *2,171 more signatures needed* [SIGN THE PETITION]( Coastal communities understand the danger of offshore drilling. They’ve experienced oil spills before: destroyed beaches, dead wildlife washing onto shore, toxic pollution spiking serious health issues. Once a spill happens, nothing is ever the same. Remember the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. More than ONE-FIFTH of all the Rice’s whales were wiped out in that catastrophe. And these coastal communities never fully recovered. One way to make sure there isn’t a next time is to protect Rice’s whale habitat and prevent new oil development! Fossil fuel profits are not more important than coastal communities or endangered species. That’s why I need your IMMEDIATE ACTION, Friend! [Will you protect coastal communities and the endangered Rice’s whale by telling NOAA to designate critical habitat and other conservation measures?]( [SIGN THE PETITION]( Standing with you, Marcie Keever, Oceans and Vessels Program Director, Friends of the Earth Contact Us: Friends of the Earth U.S. Washington, D.C. | Berkeley, CA PO Box 7010 Merrifield, VA 22116-7010 1-877-843-8687 [Contact us](foe.org/about-us/contact/) Email Preferences: [Click here to unsubscribe]( Learn more: www.foe.org/news www.foe.org/about-us www.foeaction.org Connect: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Flickr]( © 2024, Friends of the Earth. All Rights Reserved. [supporter]