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The Vaquita has an extremely small geographical range. It only lives in the Northern part of the Gulf of California in Mexico. 3

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Can be identified by: small size, black patches around eyes and lips, tall triangle-shaped dorsal fin on back. 4

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The Vaquita's habitat consists of shallow and turbid waters. It is a carnivore (secondary/tertiary consumer) that may be found feeding on small fish and crustaceans such as shrimp. 2

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The Vaquita is the rarest marine mammal and was discovered in 1958. Its population has been declining at an increasing rate. Currently, around 10 vaquitas remain. 4

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The most immediate threat to the Vaquita population is the illegal use of gillnets intended for Totoaba fish. Although there is a current ban on most gillnet fishing in the area, illegal fishing continues. 2

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Pictured here is a Totoaba bladder, known as the "cocaine of the sea", selling for upwards of $60,000 a kg in the Chinese black market. Totoaba fishing was banned in 1975, but illegal fishing has continued extensively.

The Vaquita disappearance is due to overexploitation, not the collapse of its ecosystem. 1

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The Mexican navy is currently enforcing current ban on gill-net fishing, in an effort to stop illegal poaching of Totoabas.

In addition, the Mexican government has declared a “refuge area” that encompasses 80% of the area that the Vaquita have been sighted.

An international team of experts initiated a “last ditch attempt” to save the Vaquita from extinction. They aimed to capture some of the individuals that could breed and grow the population, to then be re-released once the habitat was deemed safe. They managed to capture two individuals, a juvenile which was quickly released, and a reproductive female that was showing signs of stress and was released, which died shortly after. The project’s efforts have since been halted. 2

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If you want to help save the Vaquitas, here is some stuff you can do:

1. Sign the petition
https://www.change.org/p/save-mexico-s-vaquita-porpoise-from-imminent-extinction

2. Avoid buying mexican shimp

3. Adopt a Vaquita https://give.porpoise.org/gift/adopt-a-vaquita/

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Save Mexico’s Vaquita Porpoise from Imminent Extinction!

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1 Porpoise Conservation Society. What is the totoaba and how is it connected to the vaquita? https://porpoise.org/knowledge-base/totoaba-connected-vaquita/

2 Aljazeera. NOAA fisheries. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/science-data/vaquita-conservation-and-abundance

3 Save Coastal Wildlife. Save the Vaquita. https://www.savecoastalwildlife.org/save-the-vaquita-porpoise

4 IUCN Red List. Vaquita. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/17028/50370296#geographic-range