The vaquita (/ vəˈkiːtə / və-KEE-tə; Phocoena sinus) is a species of porpoise endemic to the northern end of the Gulf of California in Baja California, Mexico. Reaching a maximum body length of 150 cm (4.9 ft) (females) or 140 cm (4.6 ft) (males), it is the smallest of all living cetaceans.

Feb 28, 2025 · Vaquitas are the most endangered of the world’s marine mammals. Less than 20 vaquitas remain in the wild, and entanglement in illegal gillnets is driving the species toward extinction. Vaquitas have the smallest range of any whale, dolphin, or porpoise.

Vaquita, the world's rarest marine mammal, is on the edge of extinction. The plight of cetaceans—whales, dolphins, and porpoises—as a whole is exemplified by the rapid decline of the vaquita in Mexico, with about 10 individuals remaining.

May 27, 2024 · Vaquitas are the smallest cetaceans — the group that includes dolphins, porpoises and whales — at 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) long and 65 – 120 pounds (29.5 to 54.4 kg). Vaquitas feed on shrimp, small fish, squid and octopuses. The vaquita's range is the smallest of any marine animal.

Vaquitas feed on small fish, shrimp, squid and octopus. Learn about the habitat, population status and behavior of vaquitas, the most endangered marine mammal in the world.

Vaquita is Spanish for ‘small cow’ and apparently the word ‘porpoise’ comes from the Latin ‘porcopsicus’ meaning ‘fish pig’. Vaquitas, like their harbour porpoise cousins, make loud noises that sound a bit like pig snorts, and porpoises used to be commonly known as ‘puffing pigs’.

Jul 25, 2023 · How many of these facts about vaquitas do you know? The vaquita (Phocoena sinus) is the smallest porpoise to call our Ocean home. In 2023, the best-known estimate of vaquita populations is between 6 – 19, making them the most endangered marine mammal in the world. 1. When was the vaquita discovered? 1958.

With an estimated population of less than 100 individuals and ongoing decline due to entanglement in gillnets, vaquita are the most critically endangered porpoise species. Several studies implicate shrimp fishery bycatches to be responsible for the decline of the vaquita.

Physical Description: Mexican shrimp fishermen have reported and described several specimens taken accidentally in their nets (see photos). There is no beak, and the blowhole is situated well to the left of the forehead. Color: They are lead-gray above, gradually lightening to white below. There is a black circle around each eye.

The totoaba, a large fish native to the Sea of Cortez, is entwined with the vaquita’s fate in a tangled web of illegal fishing, black-market demand, and a race against extinction. The fates of the totoaba and the critically endangered vaquita are inextricably linked.