Dead Sperm Whale Found in Gulf

This is potentially terrible news: A dead sperm whale has been found in the Gulf of Mexico. While it’s unclear if the animal died due to exposure to oil, it bodes poorly for the Gulf’s highly endangered sperm-whale population: According to National Geographic, the Gulf’s whale population, numbered between 1,400 and 1,600, will be at risk of extinction if just three whales die each year from unnatural causes. Oil poses several threats to whales: They can ingest the toxic chemicals when they surface; the fumes on the surface can knock them out, causing them to drown; and it can kill off the whales’ prey. The dead whale was not found in oily water, but it could have been dead for up to a week so it may have drifted out of an oily area.