Porpoises and dolphins are a common sight for boaters along much of the world’s coastlines. They love to race along near the bow of a boat, putting on a show as they jump free of the waves.
The vaquita is the smallest of all cetaceans. Credit: Wikimedia CommonsOne exception is the vaquita -- a name that means “little cow.” It’s a porpoise that’s found only in the Sea of Cortez, which is between Baja California and the Mexican mainland.
When a boat approaches, the vaquita scrams -- and with good reason. It’s the smallest of all the cetaceans -- the group of mammals that includes porpoises, dolphins, and whales. And it’s also the most endangered.
A mature vaquita reaches a length of about five feet and a weight of around a hundred pounds. It feeds on fish and squid in the shallow, murky waters at the northern end of the Sea of Cortez.
The vaquita resembles several other species of porpoise, with one exception -- it looks like it got a little carried away with makeup. Dark rings circle its eyes and mouth.
Vaquita are so shy that scientists didn’t describe them until 1958. And it’s likely that their population was never very large.
Since at least the 1940s, though, their numbers have been declining. Today, most estimates put the population at somewhere between 150 and 500. That’s largely because the porpoises get caught in fishing nets and drown. Mexico established a sanctuary for the vaquita a decade ago, but fishing hasn’t stopped, so their numbers continue to decline. Without more protection, someday the vaquita won’t just be shy -- it’ll be extinct.
