🐟 AquaticCare difficulty: AdvancedLegal complexity: High — restricted in many states
Vaquita
Phocoena sinus
The vaquita is the world's smallest and most endangered marine mammal, found only in a small area of the northern Gulf of California. Entanglement in illegal gillnets has driven it to the very edge of extinction, with only a handful of individuals believed to remain.
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Quick facts
| Size | The smallest porpoise, ~1.4-1.5 m, with dark eye and lip patches. |
| Lifespan | 15–21 years |
| Native region | Northern Gulf of California, Mexico |
| Climate | 🏜️ Arid |
| Water type | 🌊 Marine |
| Genus | Phocoena |
Habitat & enclosure
Endemic to the shallow, turbid waters of the upper Gulf of California, the smallest range of any marine cetacean. Illegal gillnet fishing — especially for the totoaba fish, whose swim bladder is trafficked — entangles and drowns vaquitas. It is strictly protected; the only viable conservation is removing gillnets from its habitat. This profile is conservation/education only.
Diet
Feeds on small fish, squid, and crustaceans in coastal waters. Its survival hinges entirely on eliminating gillnets, not on diet or habitat scarcity.
Behavior & temperament
Shy and rarely seen, vaquitas surface briefly and avoid boats, making them hard to study. With perhaps only around ten individuals left, the species illustrates how a single fishing practice can drive a marine mammal to the brink despite legal protection.
Reviewed and signed off by: KinStation Editorial — conservation profile (pending DVM/biologist review)
Sources
- Vaquita — Wikipedia (wiki)
- IUCN Red List — Phocoena sinus (gov)