Vaquita: New video footage of the rarest marine mammal in the world

The vaquita (Phocoena sinus) has been one of the most endangered mammals in the world since the extinction of the Chinese river dolphin (Baiji) in 2002. Recently, Sea Shepherd released the latest results of their most recent vaquita survey during a press conference. The environmental organization presented footage showing a mother and her one-year-old calf; however, no newborn calves were sighted.

From the 567 vaquitas counted by experts with the support of Sea Shepherd in 1997, only 30 animals remained by 2016. This represents a dramatic decline of 95 percent in the population of the vaquita in just under ten years. At this year’s press conference, the organization described the vaquita population as “stable,” although 2024 saw the lowest number ever recorded. During the last count in 2023, experts estimated that between ten and thirteen of these small porpoises remained. However, only six to eight were sighted during this year’s two-week survey.

Illegal gillnet fishing: The greatest threat

The primary danger to the vaquitas comes from illegally used gillnets, which remain widespread despite being banned. These nets are primarily used to catch the also endangered Totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi), whose swim bladders are highly valued on the Chinese black market. Vaquitas unintentionally get caught in these nets as bycatch and suffocate because they cannot reach the surface to breathe.

The remaining vaquitas inhabit a restricted area of only about 300 square kilometers in the northwest Gulf of California, known as the Zero Tolerance Area. This marine protected area was specifically established to protect the vaquitas. In this area, all types of fishing are prohibited. Nevertheless, illegal gillnet fishing continues to pose an ongoing threat. Since 2014, Sea Shepherd has been making significant efforts to save the vaquitas through Operation Milagro. This includes patrolling the distribution area with ships and removing illegally set gillnets.

Hope despite fewer vaquita sightings

The Operation Milagro Mission 2024 utilized two ships provided by Sea Shepherd, supported by the Natural Protected Areas Commission of Mexico (CONANP) and the Mexican Navy. Experts employed both acoustic and visual monitoring techniques to locate vaquitas and estimate the minimum number of surviving individuals.

Studies from previous years have documented vaquitas with scars and cuts from gillnets. These observations led to the theory that the marine mammals might have learned to avoid the nets. In 2024, none of these injured individuals were spotted.

Despite the low number of individuals sighted this year, the expert team does not automatically assume that the vaquita population has continued to decline. Instead, there is hope that the small whales may have moved away from their original distribution area. For this reason, additional acoustic monitoring efforts are planned between June and December in waters that have not yet been surveyed.

Urgent protection measures needed for vaquitas

The survival of the vaquitas continues to be severely endangered, experts warn following recent studies. Alex Olivera from the Center for Biological Diversity expressed serious concerns to Yahoo News about the future of these small whales in the Gulf of California. “It’s good news that fishing gear entanglement hasn’t completely wiped out these little porpoises,” stronger conservation measures are urgently needed, Olivera stated.

D.J. Schubert, a senior wildlife biologist at the Animal Welfare Institute, also calls for more effort in combating the use of deadly nets. “While we commend all involved in conducting the survey, the likely decline in vaquita numbers should be setting off alarm bells in Mexico and around the world,” Schubert explains. He continues to criticize “Mexico’s ongoing failures to stop illegal fishing and the trafficking of totoaba,” emphasizing that the government is obligated to enforce protective laws more effectively.

Given the critical situation of the California porpoises, Olivera appeals to the president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, to intensify efforts to protect this endangered species. Only through enhanced and effectively enforced protection measures do the vaquitas stand a chance of survival. Their situation remains an urgent call to the international community to take the protection of marine species seriously and to intensify efforts.