'God Squad' ESA Exemption Removes Protections for Rice's Whale and Sea Turtles in Gulf of Mexico

Ongoing legal battles and conservation advocacy continued over the Trump administration's unprecedented March 31 Endangered Species Committee ('God Squad') vote exempting Gulf of Mexico oil and gas drilling from Endangered Species Act protections — the first such vote in 30 years. The exemption strips protections from the critically endangered Rice's whale (Balaenoptera ricei), with fewer than 50 individuals remaining — making it one of the world's rarest cetaceans — along with five sea turtle species, Florida manatees, and migratory shorebirds. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth invoked national security to trigger the vote. Scientists warned the Rice's whale faces extinction without ESA protection from vessel strikes, oil spills, and noise from expanded offshore drilling. Environmental groups' legal challenges continued in federal courts as oil companies prepared to accelerate Gulf operations under the exemption.