Gulf's Rare Giants in Peril

What do the giant squid, giant jellyfish, killer whale and sperm whale have in common? As of 2010, they live in the Gulf of Mexico but most people don't know it.

The BP oil spill threatens not only the livelihoods of millions of coastal residents, the seafood industry, and sea creatures and sea birds of all sizes and shapes, it also threatens a few rare, exotic species.

Least rare of the creatures on the list is the sperm whale. The Gulf of Mexico supports a year-round population of around 1,500 sperm whales, which are huge, 60-foot-long mammals that sport the largest brain of any animal or fish. BP should hope they don't use their brains to come up with a fitting revenge for spoiling their habitat.

National Geographic reports that if the oil spill kills three whales per year over the next few years, the whales are likely doomed:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/100521-science-environment-gulf-mexico-oil-spill-sperm-whales

NG notes that killer whale populations have yet to recover from the now not-so-impressive Exxon Valdez.

Killer whales, or orcas, also dwell in the Gulf, but there population until recently was thought to be about 150, that is, until a group of fishermen saw about 200 of them at one time last year:
http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/639954.html.

I don't know if BP should be afraid of killer whales or not, but they better be afraid of the squid that National Geographic reported on in 2008. These alien-like giant squid have elbows and seriously long tentacles:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/11/081124-giant-squid-magnapinna.html.

Another 20-foot-long giant squid was caught in a net last year by a group of scientists studying the sperm whale's diet in the Gulf of Mexico:
http://www.livescience.com/animals/etc/090922-rare-giant-squid-caught-gulf.html.

It makes since that the big squid would be in the Gulf, because the sperm whales find them tasty. The giant jellyfish has a tasty-sounding name, but they don't look so good up close. Check this monster out:
http://news.discovery.com/videos/animals-rare-monster-jellyfish-caught-on-tape.html

With global climate change wreaking havoc on the world's ecosystems, perhaps some of these creatures have fled other regions looking for a more hospitable home in the Gulf of Mexico. I like the fact that these creatures are out there in the gulf, and I sure hope we can figure out a way to keep them safe from harm.