Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Vaquitas have the The vaquita is a shy member of the porpoise family. Another distinctive feature of Vaquita is its ability of tolerating large annual fluctuations in temperature, which is also uncommon in porpoises. These porpoises are closely related to the Southern Hemisphere species of porpoise such as the Burmeister porpoise, their closest cousin. The vaquita is also called “vaquita marina” and the Gulf of California harbor porpoise. During the 1940s, vaquita was caught in the artisanal gillnet fishery for totoaba and shark and in the commercial trawl fishery for shrimp . It can be found only in the northern parts of the Gulf of California, in Mexico.

Vaquita marina, a small species of porpoise endemic to the Northern Gulf of California in Mexico, is the world’s most endangered cetacean species. Porpoises lack a beak while dolphins tend to have more prominent beaks. These porpoises are closely related to the Southern Hemisphere species of porpoise such as the Burmeister porpoise, their closest cousin. Vaquita is the smallest porpoise that belongs to the order Cetacea. Vaquita marina, a small species of porpoise endemic to the Northern Gulf of California in Mexico, is the world’s most endangered cetacean species. Vaquita lives on a territory of 900 square miles, which is the smallest area occupied by a whale species. Less than 30 vaquitas remain in the wild, and entanglement in gillnets is driving the species toward extinction. Vaquita marina (Phocoena sinus) is a small species of porpoise, endemic to the Northern Gulf of California, Mexico .Currently, the main threat to vaquita comes from artisanal fisheries, in the form of incidental mortality. During the previous expedition in September 2019, six vaquitas were sighted in the Gulf of California, proving that these animals still exist and are in need of protection. An interesting feature of the vaquita is that it is the only species of porpoise that is found in such warm waters. Fishing provides the sole source of income for many people living in this part of rural Mexico. Vaquitas are the most endangered of the world’s marine mammals. Biogeographic Regions; pacific ocean.

Phocoena sinus (commonly known as the vaquita) are found only in shallow water, close to shore. Thomas A. Jefferson/VIVA Vaquita "Basically, we knew at that point that the number of animals that were being killed in the fishery could not be sustained by the wild population," Taylor says. Photo identification of specimens of vaquita marina (Phocoena sinus) to verify the presence, size and characteristics of the population, will be the two-week project’s objective. With its dark gray back and light belly, its most visible characteristics are the black rings around the eyes and mouth. Vaquita anatomy and appearance. Vaquita are in danger of extinction because they get caught in fishing nets and drown (Rojas Bracho and Taylor, 1999). Get Started. The vaquita marina is the world's most endangered marine mammal. Physical characteristics and Appearance The word Vaquita means “little cow” in Spanish and porpoise derives from the Latin meaning pig fish . The Vaquita looks like a bottelnose dolphin but it is a whole different species. native; Habitat. There was a 50% drop between that and the next population count in 2008. Physical characteristics and Appearance. Vaquita is Spanish for “little cow” and “vaquita marina” is Spanish for “little sea cow.” The vaquita, like other porpoises, differs from dolphins in several ways. Taylor says that around 2011, totoaba fishing took off … Vaquita is the only porpoise, living in warm waters such as these of the Gulf of California: porpoises inhabit cooler waters, typically lower than 20 degrees Celsius.