The race to save the world's most endangered marine mammal isn't over yet
Fewer than 10 vaquitas remain in the wild, according to the National Marine Mammal Foundation.
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THE TAKEAWAY
- The vaquita remains on the brink of extinction.
- Conservationists are training the next generation to protect the species.
- Illegal fishing continues to threaten the vaquita's survival.
The world's most endangered marine mammal isn't gone yet, and conservationists are training the next generation of observers in a race to help the species survive.
With fewer than 10 believed to remain in the wild, the vaquita is the world's most endangered marine mammal and is on the brink of extinction.
Found only in a small stretch of the northern Gulf of California in Mexico, its entire population lives in one area, making the species especially vulnerable to threats such as gillnets, according to NOAA Fisheries. (Paula Olson/NOAA / NOAA)
Often mistaken for a dolphin, the vaquita is a small porpoise found only in the northern Gulf of California, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
The vaquita is the world's smallest porpoise, growing to about 5 feet long and weighing up to 120 pounds, according to the National Marine Mammal Foundation.
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Despite being a top predator in the Gulf of California, the shy and elusive vaquita has seen its population collapse.
So how did it fall from an estimated 600 in the late 1990s to fewer than 10 today?
A Mexican Navy officer guards fishing authorities as they recover a fishing net on a beach taking advantage of the low tide during a search operation for illegal fishing nets off the coast of San Felipe, in the Gulf of California, Baja California state, northwestern, Mexico, on March 30, 2022, as part of the Milagro (Miracle) operation of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Mexican authorities to save the critically endangered vaquita porpoise. (GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Accidental entanglement in gillnets set by fishermen targeting fish and shrimp has driven the vaquita's decline for decades, with bycatch remaining the leading cause of death for the critically endangered species, according to a 2020 study.
Today, NOAA Fisheries says the vaquita's greatest threat comes from illegal fishing for totoaba, an endangered fish whose swim bladder is highly prized on the black market. Vaquitas become entangled in the gillnets used to catch totoaba and drown.
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The last comprehensive population survey was conducted in 2015, when scientists from Mexico, the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany joined an expedition in the Gulf of California. The survey estimated that fewer than 60 vaquitas remained.
Now, fewer than 10 vaquitas remain in the wild, according to the National Marine Mammal Foundation.
The vaquita has never been successfully kept in human care. A 2017 emergency conservation effort was suspended after one captured vaquita showed signs of severe stress and another died, leading scientists to conclude the species' best chance of survival is protecting it in the wild by removing deadly gillnets from its habitat. (Paula Olson/NOAA / NOAA)
Trademarked by the distinctive black rings around their eyes and lips, vaquitas are easy to identify but extraordinarily difficult to spot in the wild. That's why conservation groups and government agencies in the Gulf of California continue working to protect the species.
Finding a vaquita isn't easy. Spotting one takes patience, skill and a bit of luck, as the shy marine mammal surfaces briefly for a breath before quickly disappearing beneath the water.
For years, the challenge of spotting the vaquita fell to a small network of highly trained observers, who scanned the waters of the Gulf of California for the elusive marine mammal.
A biologist looks for vaquita porpoises during a census mission as part of the efforts to save the endangered vaquita porpoise near San Felipe, in the Gulf of California, Baja California State, northwestern Mexico, on May 19, 2023. (GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Now, those skills are getting passed down to the next generation.
In May, Mexican authorities and environmental organizations, including the nonprofit Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, led a 10-day conservation expedition that gave participants hands-on training to identify the critically endangered vaquita.
According to Sea Shepherd, the mission focused on strengthening vaquita monitoring, advancing research and engaging local communities in conservation efforts while helping train the next generation of observers.
The dorsal fin of a vaquita porpoise is seen swimming during a census mission run by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Mexican authorities as part of the efforts to save the endangered vaquita porpoise. (GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The organization said the training campaign is designed to establish a predominantly Mexican team capable of leading a vaquita observation expedition in May 2027.
The race to save the vaquita isn't over yet. Illegal gillnets remain the species' greatest threat, and its future depends on removing them from the small stretch of the Gulf of California where the world's rarest marine mammal still survives.
Aerial view of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society vessel Seahorse taken during a census mission, part of the efforts to save the endangered Vaquita porpoise near San Felipe, in the Gulf of California, Baja California State, northwestern Mexico, on May 19, 2023. (GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The National Marine Mammal Foundation says there is still hope for recovery through science-based conservation efforts and continued collaboration with local communities and conservation partners.