Because they are so endangered, many different organizations are working to help the vaquita. However, this land is much more than a place to catch a good wave or enjoy a luxurious resort. The Vaquita was first discovered by western scientists in 1958. If rapid progress is not made, the vaquita porpoise will be extinct. Baja is home to a unique species that is in need of some help. But its natural predator, the shark, is not its biggest threat. Date: May 09, 2017 Tweet; F; The vaquita is the world's rarest marine mammal—and is in dire need of our help. This means that within just a year, there may not be enough vaquita left to produce a genetically fit population. 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. The vaquita (Phocoena sinus), also known as the Gulf of California harbor porpoise, cochito or Marsopa vaquita is the smallest cetacean.It is also one of the most endangered… Source: Vaquita Vaquita Paul Olsen/NOAA The vaquita is the world’s smallest and most endangered porpoise and it is literally on its last fins.The main threat to vaquitas is death by drowning in fishing gear. It is a unique species, with a body shape and color pattern unlike that of any other cetacean. Breeding only once every two years, they may well be extinct by the time you read this. The vaquita is the rarest marine mammal in the world, and critically endangered, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The vaquita: 5 Facts about the most endangered marine mammal. The vaquita becomes tangled in the nets used to catch totoaba, which are a delicacy in China. Here is what I found about WHY. A look at the vaquita, a small porpoise that is on the critically endangered list. Because the targeted fish is totoaba (a kind of croaker), itself an endangered species. Why the Vaquita is endangered Over the past 18 years, humans have dramatically decreased our Vaquita population. Vaquita are often caught and drowned in gillnets used by illegal fishing operations in marine protected areas within Mexico's Gulf of California. Estimates from abundance surveys in the Gulf of California, the vaquita's only habitat, indicate that fewer than 100 and possibly only about 30 animals are remain in the wild. It’s currently estimated that only 10-15 vaquita remain and their population has decreased at … The vaquita will be extinct if fishery bycatch is not eliminated immediately. The vaquita is a small porpoise found in the extreme northern Gulf of California, in Baja California, Mexico. What is a Vaquita? Both the United States and Mexico list the vaquita as an Endangered Species. This dangerous situation has been recognized by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), which lists the vaquita as Critically Endangered. Since 2007, the IUCN lists the vaquita as a critically endangered species, meaning that its numbers are so low that the species is threatened with extinction. The vaquita population has been in sharp decline for decades, recently accelerated by illegal fishing with gill-nets for the endangered totoaba, a large fish sought after for its swim bladder. The Current State of Vaquita Conservation. Why can’t the issue of bycatch simply be addressed? From its aquamarine waters and ancient coral reefs to the equally ancient culture, its plain to see why Baja is so popular. Nearly one out of every five vaquita get entangled and drown in gillnets intended for other marine species like the totoaba, a critically endangered fish also found in the upper Gulf of California. The vaquita is not only the world's smallest cetacean, but also the most endangered marine mammal.