The Vaquita
Critically Endangered Cetacean
Images downloaded from https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/vaquita
What is a Vaquita?
A Vaquita (which means ‘little cow’ in Spanish) is a cetacean with the scientific name
of Phocoena sinus.
It belongs to the same family (cetaceans – marine mammals) as whales, porpoises
and dolphins. They are related to dolphins and had an ancestor in common about
15,000,000 years ago.
It is a mammal, therefore it breathes air, gives birth to live young and feeds them with
milk that it produces itself.
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/vaquita, personal knowledge, Cetacean Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com ,
https://www.savecoastalwildlife.org/save-the-vaquita-porpoise , https://porpoise.org/save-the-vaquita/
What is a Vaquita? A Vaquita is a cetacean, an aquatic mammal.
Image taken from https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/787144841097985030/
Where does the Vaquita live?
The Vaquita’s habitat is only in one area, the north of the Gulf of California, in the Sea
of Cortez, near Baja, Mexico. It is an extremely bodiverse area, with almost 900 species
of fish and about 30% of the world’s cetaceans.
Vaquita’s live in
the area marked
yellow.
The waters that they live in are close to the coast, warm (it is the only porpoise that
lives in warm waters), cloudy, with sediment and rich in nutrients. They are usually
seen in waters less than 50m deep.
https://porpoise.org/save-the-vaquita/ , https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/vaquita/ ,
https://www.savecoastalwildlife.org/save-the-vaquita-porpoise
How many Vaquita are there?
The Vaquita was only discovered in 1958.
In 1997 the Vaquita population (one of only 7 species of porpoise) was estimated at
under 600.
By 2008 this number had dropped to less than half that number, 245.
By 2015 there were only 59 individual Vaquita left alive.
That number shrunk to 30 by 2016, a drop of 90% since 2011.
In 2023 there are only 10 Vaquita left alive.
In As of this year, 2023,
there are only 10 Vaquita
individuals still swimming
in the Sea of Cortez.
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/vaquita , https://porpoise.org/save-the-vaquita/ ,
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/vaquita ,
What do Vaquita look like?
The Vaquita is the smallest of all the cetaceans,
the adults measuring only about 1.5 metres
in length and weighing about 55 kilograms.
A newly birthed calf is about 72 centimetres
long and weighs a little over 7 kilograms.
Males are shorter than females but their fins
are larger.
length 1.5 m
55kg
The dorsal fins of the Vaquita are
larger and wider than other porpoises.
It is thought that they help the animal
release heat from its body, this could
be an adaptation to living in warm waters.
Their heads are rounded, and they do
not, like most porpoises, have a beak.
Their teeth are small and resemble spades.
https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/animal-care/learn-about-marine-mammals/cetaceans/vaquita ,
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/vaquita/ , https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/vaquita ,
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/vaquita
What do Vaquita look like?
The Vaquita has dark circles surrounding its eyes and dark markings around its lips,
these stretch out to the pectoral fins in a narrow line.
Their colouring is dark grey on their backs, lightening along their sides and then
lightening again to white with some light grey markings on their underside .
Young Vaquita have markings that are darker than the adults.
https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/animal-care/learn-about-marine-mammals/cetaceans/vaquita ,
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/vaquita/ , https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/vaquita ,
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/vaquita
length 1.5 m
large and wide dorsal fin
round heads with no beak
dark circles surrounding its eyes,
dark markings around lips stretch
out to the pectoral fins
dark grey on their backs, lightening along their
sides and then lightening again to white with
some light grey markings on their underside
What do Vaquita look like?
http://www.itravel-cabo.com/things-to-do/activities/whale-watching/dolphins/vaquita.aspx ,
https://undertheskin.co.uk/shop/prints/vaquita/ , https://www.change.org/t/vaquita-marina-es-419 ,
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/investigation-reveals-illegal-trade-cartels-decimating-vaquita-porpoises/
What Vaquita Eat and How They Get Food
The Vaquita is a hunter, like other porpoises and dolphins. Its diet
consists of cephlapods (octopuses and squid), small fish and different
types of crustaceans like prawns (shrimp).
https://www.britannica.com/animal/shrimp-crustacean , https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/are-squids-as-smartas-dogs , https://unsplash.com/s/photos/octopus
Vaquita Reproduction & Lifespan
The Vaquita can live for approximately 21 years.
Vaquita females reach reproductive maturity between 3 and 6 years of age.
They have a pregnancy that is between 10 and 11 months long.
They can give birth to one calf every two years and this normally happens between the
months of February and April.
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/vaquita , https://posterfoundry.com/vaquita-porpoise-critically-endangereddolphin-swimming-by-vincent-hie-nature-cubicle-locker-mini-art-poster-8x12/ ,
Why are Vaquita In Danger Of Extinction?
The Vaquita is critically endangered because people fish for shrimp (prawns) and a fish
called the totoba using gillnets. The Vaquita are caught in these nets and drown
because they cannot get to the surface to breathe.
Gillnets are responsible for catching about 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises
every year. These animals are known as bycatch, they are incidentally caught while the
fishermen are trying to catch something else.
Most of these animals die, the rest are badly injured trying to escape.
, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/vaquita , https://www.animals24-7.org/ , https://porpoise.org/save-the-vaquita/ ,
https://www.britannica.com/explore/savingearth/plight-of-the-vaquita
Why are Vaquita In Danger Of Extinction?
The Vaquita are in danger of extinction
through the use of gillnet fishing,
but why?
There is an illegal trade in gillnet fishing
for the totoba, a large fish that can get
to 200 pounds in weight. It is also a
critically endangered animal.
It is very valuable to the fisherman.
Why is it valuable?
The totoba has a swim bladder in its
body that is in high demand in China.
People in China are willing to pay
between $2500USD & $10000USD
per kilo for the swim bladders.
https://esathinkcritical.wordpress.com/2017/05/10/endangered-species-vaquita/ , https://www.animals247.org/2017/11/06/vaquita-cpr-porpoise-rescue-kills-a-female-of-breeding-age/
Why are Vaquita In Danger Of Extinction?
There are people in China that believe
that the totoba’s swim bladders have
medicinal value for them.
There is a very big blackmarket trade in
the swim bladders and a lot of people
can make large amounts of money from
importing them and selling them in China.
People therefore make the swim bladders
into a soup and eat the soup in the belief
that the soup will help their health in
some way.
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/vaquita, https://www.animals24-7.org/2017/11/06/vaquita-cpr-porpoise-rescuekills-a-female-of-breeding-age/ , https://porpoise.org/save-the-vaquita/ ,
Who Is Trying To Save Them From Extinction?
What Are They Doing?
The Mexican government made permanent ban on gillnet fishing in 2016.
This includes a ban on fishing at night to try to stop poachers.
Since 2016 The American and Mexican governments have been working together to
save the Vaquita.
The Mexican Government’s National Institute of Fisheries and the World Wildlife Fund
has been working to create fishing practices that will not harm the Vaquita. They have
experts from around the world working together to help them do this.
The Centre for Biological Diversity has been
petitioning the US government and had had
filed lawsuits to force them to make trade
sanctions against Mexico if it does not enforce
its laws against illegal fishing practices.
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/vaquita , https://porpoise.org/save-the-vaquita/ ,
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/mammals/vaquita/,
Who Is Trying To Save Them From Extinction?
What Are They Doing?
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society monitors the vaquita’s habitat with boats,
drones and alert the Mexican Coast Guard to catch the poachers and gillnet
fishermen when the locate them.
Who Is Trying To Save Them From Extinction?
What Are They Doing?
There are many other organisations working together to educate, enforce bans and
work in other ways to save the Vaquita. They include VIVA vaquita, VaquitaCPR,
National Marine Mammal Foundation, Save The Whales, The UNEP (United Nations
Environment Program), Environment Investigation Agency and many more.
They put their efforts into education, fund-raising, legal actions and direct intervention
to help stop the extinction of this, the worlds’most endangered marine mammal.
Information found from google search : Which organisations are trying to save the Vaquita
What Can Be Done To Save The Vaquita From Extinction?
If the Vaquita are to be
saved, then there are only
a few ways. It is too late
for soft measures.
The result of any action needs
to be the end of gillnet fishing.
All gillnet fishing that occurs
in the habitat of the Vaquita
needs to be stopped or the
Vaquita will be extinct very soon.
The ways to do this include
policing of the habitat, day
and night, to ensure that illegal
fishing is stopped.
Gillnets fishing gear - Marine Stewardship Council | Marine Stewardship Council (msc.org) , Fisheries and Aquaculture Fishing Gear Type - Set gillnets (anchored) (fao.org) ,
What Can Be Done To Save The Vaquita From Extinction?
Heavy penalties including both gaol time and
massive fines need to be imposed upon
poachers, as well as the businesses and cartels
that organise them. These punishments need
to be so heavy that they make the risk of being
caught not worth the money that can be made
from the sale of totaba swim bladders.
Trade and aid sanctions need to placed on the
Mexican Government.
Governments also need to address the
problem of the demand and importation of
totoba swim bladders with the Chinese
government. Without stopping demand and
supply of the totoba swim bladders, it will be
impossible to save the Vaquita.
Yes, the Vaquita can be saved, but immediate
and strong action is required.
Images from: www.reuters.com , www.konkanwaves.com , CNN