4. With less than 30 animals left in the wild, the vaquita needs all the support it can get. Why is the Vaquita endangered? Newborns generally have darker coloration. Vaquitas feed on small fish, crustaceans (such as shrimp), and cephalopods (such as squid and octopuses). The Sabbath is God’s first gift to humanity. New reports estimate that only a dozen vaquita (Phocoena sinus) are left, due to illegal fishing of the totoaba in Mexico. The porpoise has a conspicuous black ring around each eye. Violent battle playing out to save the last 22 vaquitas, the world's most endangered porpoise. Environmental Investigation Agency (2016). But in recent years, the population has declined at a dramati… Why is the Vaquita so endangered? The main threat to vaquitas is death by drowning in fishing gear. Vaquitas have the smallest range of any whale, dolphin, or porpoise. I’ll tell you here, that the vaquita is species of porpoise (a marine mammal related to whales and dolphins) found only in the Northern Gulf of California in Mexico – it is the most endangered marine mammal on the planet, and has likely been in decline since the 1940s. A look at the vaquita, a small porpoise that is on the critically endangered list. Uncategorized October 23, 2020 0 Comment. How many vaquitas are left?A survey released earlier this year estimated the vaquita population was as low as 30 individuals. The vaquita, literally "little cow", is a species of porpoise endemic to the northern end of the Gulf of California. Vaquitas were regularly drowning in gill nets meant for shrimp and totoabas, a fish whose swim bladder is a delicacy in China. JARAMILLO-LEGORRETA, A. ; ROJAS-BRACHO, L. ; URBAN, J. But totoaba fishing—the main threat to vaquitas—has continued to increase. Washington, DC 20037. Mexico has been given one year to demonstrate that it is taking appropriate legal, scientific, technical, administrative and financial measures to protect this heritage site and the animals that live there—including the vaquita. Like you, vaquitas can’t breathe underwater and so when they get tangled in these nets and can’t get to the surface to breathe, they suffocate. It supports an extraordinary diversity of marine life including sharks, whales, marine turtles, and many species of reef fish. WWF is asking for an immediate, increased response from the Mexican government, World Heritage Committee and CITES Parties, NGOS and civil society groups to protect the last remaining vaquitas and set the Upper Gulf of California on a path to recovery. Donate – Many organizations are collecting funds to help aid conservation. Initially, the vaquita was threatened by entanglement in gillnets being used to fish for totoaba. Today, the species is on the brink of extinction. World Wildlife Fund Inc. is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax ID number 52-1693387) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. This means that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognizes the Vaquita Porpoise as critically endangered. Why are vaquitas so endangered? It lives only in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez), where latest abundance estimates point to just 30 animals left (as of November 2016). A vaquita is a small, dark grey porpoise that reaches a maximum length of just under five feet and weighs up to 120 pounds. 5. But, we must ask the Mexican president to take strong action now. The vaquita is found only in a small area of the world. The vaquita is the world's rarest marine mammal—and is in dire need of our help. They only live in the northern part of the Gulf of California, an area that is rich in fish and shrimp. Based on abundance estimated in 2008, there are estimated to be less than 100 vaquitas remaining. Currently, there are so few individuals left, that they are considered to be the most endangered cetacean species in the world. Vaquitas share waters with the much sought-after totoaba fish and fishing nets inadvertently catch and drown the porpoise. Together, we can protect the Gulf of California World Heritage site, home to the critically endangered vaquita. The number of existing vaquitas has always been small since they only live in one area in the entire world. Gerrodette, Tim ; Taylor, Barbara L. ; Swift, René ; Rankin, Shannon ; Jaramillo-Legorreta, Armando M. ; Rojas-Bracho, Lorenzo (2010). The IUCN can declare a species critically endangered if there has been a significant decline of growth in a short period of… Besides the vaquita, the Gulf of California has tremendous biological and economic importance. The Vaquita (Phocoena Sinus), also known as the "Gulf of California Harbor Porpoise" and "Cochito", is the smallest, rarest and most endangered of all cetaceans. 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