The Vaquita, an Endangered Species

The World's Smallest Cetacean is also One of Its Most Endangered

Sep 20, 2009

Despite the fact that the vaquita is literally on the brink of extinction, global media coverage and conservation efforts seem slight. Has the species been discounted?

Most people have never seen the vaquita, a tiny porpoise species in the Gulf of California. Unless conservation efforts persist, no one will ever have the opportunity to see a vaquita. The survival of this intelligent animal is doubtful. Can conservationists stop the bleeding before it's too late?

What is a Vaquita?

The vaquita (Phocoena sinus), also known as the Gulf of California porpoise, is the smallest cetacean, the biological order comprised of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Vaquitas resemble common porpoises in most respects, save for being more slender and having longer pectoral and dorsal fins in relation to their body size.

According to the World Wildlife Federation (WWF), the "vaquita may weigh up to 55 kg (120 lb) and females can reach up to 1.5 m (4.9'), males up to 1.4 m (4.6')."Its upper body is dark gray, but its coloration lightens the nearer it gets to the vaquita's ventral side. Dark rings circle the vaquita's eyes, and its chin and lips are black.

Females produce one calf per year. Babies are darker in color. Vaquitas prefer solitary or small-group living.

Where Do Vaquitas Live?

Vaquitas live exclusively in the northern portion of the Gulf of California (a.k.a. Sea of Cortez), the body of water separating Mexico's Baja California Peninsula from the mainland. According to Project GloBAL (Global Bycatch Assessment of Long-lived Species), vaquitas "have the smallest known range of any cetacean." They reside in shallow lagoons near the shoreline. Adaption to warm gulf waters may explain the vaquita's slender physique.

What Do Vaquitas Eat?

Vaquitas, like belugas, dolphins, and killer whales, are "toothed whales." Carnivores, they feed indiscriminately on various small, shallow water fish species. The porpoises also eat squid and usually dine at or near the surface.

Why are Vaquitas Endangered?

Vaquitas are critically endangered. They are "the world’s most endangered small cetacean species, with a single population now estimated at only 150 individuals," says Project GloBAL. Despite conservation efforts, the vaquita's status has gone from "vulnerable" (1980s) to "endangered" (mid-1990s) to its current dismal distinction. Why?

Per Project GloBAL, the "vaquita’s small population size, naturally limited distribution, and low rate of increase leave the population vulnerable to the effects of disease, inbreeding, and natural processes, in addition to the threat of anthropogenic (human-related) mortality." Humans are the biggest cause of vaquita depletion. According to the WWF, "high levels of entanglement in fishing gear threaten imminent extinction if current trends continue." The WWF estimates that "between 40 and 80 vaquitas are killed in gillnets and trawl nets used in both artisanal and commercial fishing" every year.

Of course, vaquitas are unintended bycatch. Most commercial fishers do not intentionally harm these animals and try to save vaquitas accidentally caught in their nets. Conversely, other fishermen illegally fish for totoabo, a depleted fish species indigenous to the Gulf of California. The totoabo is close in size to the vaquita; totoabo fishing threatens the existence of both species.

The United States' damming of the Colorado River is also a concern. The volume of freshwater entering the gulf has lessened, and its long term effect on the habitat remains to be seen.

What Can Be Done to Protect Vaquitas?

Perhaps global recognition of the vaquita's demise is sparse because its salvation is primarily Mexico's arduous task. Mexico has not ignored its responsibility. According to the WWF, "Mexico has established a wildlife refuge covering the distribution area of the vaquita that falls outside of the Upper Gulf of California Biosphere Reserve." Further, gillnets and shrimp trawls are banned within the vaquita's habitat. Alternative equipment is being developed. Per Project GloBAL:

"In 1996, Mexico established the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, CIRVA, to create and implement a recovery plan for the vaquita. Over the last several years, the Mexican government has developed the Action Program for the Conservation of the Species Vaquita and devoted almost $20 million to its implementation. The program, now underway, will reduce the number of gillnets in use by buying out permits and encouraging alternative livelihoods, helping fishermen switch gears, and compensating fishermen in exchange for fishing outside important vaquita habitat."

Surely, Mexico's efforts are commendable. But are they enough? Not likely. The species is so near extinction that drastic measures are now necessary to save it. WWF Mexico seeks to reduce vaquita bycatch to "a level that does not threaten the population, i.e. no more than one animal per year."

Preservation of the gulf's ecosystem is also necessary for the vaquita's survival. Banning net fishing entirely in areas of vaquita concentration is a must, as are stiff, strictly enforced criminal penalties for illegal fishing. Removal of ghost nets, pollution, and other forms of human invasion is essential.

Humans can prevent eradication of vaquitas. After all, humans are responsible for killing them.

The copyright of the article The Vaquita, an Endangered Species in Endangered Species is owned by Jason Parent. Permission to republish The Vaquita, an Endangered Species in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.