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Vaquita

The vaquita is the rarest marine mammal in the world and is critically endangered, with fewer than 20 individuals estimated to remain. Found only in the northern part of the Gulf of California, Mexico, this small porpoise was first described in 1958 and has been declining rapidly due to entanglement in gillnets.

 

Vaquitas are the smallest member of the dolphin, whale, and porpoise family, reaching only about 1.5 meters (5 feet) in length. They have a stocky body, a rounded head with no beak, and distinct dark rings around their eyes and lips that give them a unique facial appearance and earned them the nickname “panda of the sea.” Their coloration is dark gray on top with lighter sides and a pale belly. They tend to travel alone or in pairs.

Vaquitas feed on a variety of small fish, squid, and crustaceans, foraging in the shallow, murky waters of their restricted habitat. They have an extremely limited range — the smallest of any marine mammal.

 

 

Vaquitas were likely naturally rare, but their populations have declined extremely rapidly due to illegal gillnetting for totoaba, a large, endangered fish prized for its swim bladder. Because vaquitas are roughly the same size as these fish, it is very easy for them to get entangled and drown in these nets. Despite bans on most gillnets in this area, the illegal use of these nets continues and the vaquita population continues to decline.

 

 

Stopping illegal fishing and banning the use of gillnets where vaquitas live is critical for the vaquita’s survival. In 1997, the International Committee for the Recovery of the vaquita was established by the Mexican government to explore how the vaquita can be saved from extinction. While their recommendations have helped lead to gillnet bans throughout vaquita habitat, more action is needed to stop illegal fishing and permanently ban all gillnets in the area.

 

 

 

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