Week 9: Vaquita!

All about the rare Vaquita- I don’t think you’ve heard of it before! By Keira Lin Ziying

        Photo credits to National Geographic 

Did you ever hear about this animals before? Today, let’s dive into some fun facts about the Vaquita!

1. The Vaquita is the smallest mammal!

Did you know that they are about four and a half feet long! They are also part of the cetaceans, which include dolphins, porpoises and whales.

2. They are very rare!

Now, let’s address why the Vaquita is rare. Sadly, it is under the Critical Endangered section of the IUCN red list, and is the most endangered marine mammal in the world.

3. Where did they originally come from?

These mammals are only found in the northern Gulf of California. It is only found there as it has shallow waters, which Vaquita enjoy. It also has nutrient-rich water from the Colorado River and other small rivers which benefit the Vaquita and the biodiversity around it.

4. The Vaquita’s nickname(s)!

It is called the ‘Panda of the Sea’ due to its dark rings around its eyes, just like a panda! It is sometimes called ‘Little cow’, which is direct translation of Vaquita from Spanish to English. There are other nicknames but these are still more popular.

5. Some special body parts that help the Vaquita to survive

They have triangular shaped dorsal fins which are taller and wider than other porpoises. These fins allow them to reduce their body temperatures in warm waters.

6. Why are they under the critically endangered list?

Vaquita are often caught and drowned in gillnets, which is illegal. This is the main reason why the population of Vaquita is decreasing very rapidly.

A gillnet is a net people set up in the seas which is hard to spot. They catch the animal’s organs (if fish it is the gills) to stop the animal and eventually cause it to die. This is a gillnet:

7.  Did you know?

The National Geographic came up with an experiment where they would try to conserve Vaquita by keeping them in a safe area. They managed to find two Vaquitas, both which were female. However, sadly one passed. The other was very stressed out so they released her back into the water.

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Links:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/vaquita-the-porpoise-familys-smallest-member-nears-extinction

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaquita

https://porpoise.org/knowledge-base/where-does-the-vaquita-live-and-what-makes-the-habitat-special/#:~:text=Several%2520factors%2520set%2520the%2520vaquita's,prey%E2%80%94small%2520fish%2520and%2520squid.

https://oceana.org/marine-life/vaquita/

https://ammpa.org/sites/default/files/files/animalfactsheets/AMMPA-VaquitaFactSheet-web.pdf#:~:text=English:%20Vaquita%2C%20Gulf%20of%20California%20Harbor%20Porpoise,as%20its%20role%20as%20a%20flagship%20species.

https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/mammals/vaquita/#:~:text=Vaquitas%20also%20have%20triangle%2Dshaped,fishes%2C%20squids%2C%20and%20crustaceans.&text=The%20vaquita%20lives%20only%20in,Vaquitas%20in%201997%20was%20567.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/dolphin-and-porpoise/vaquita/

https://eia-international.org/ocean/whales-dolphins-and-porpoises/preventing-the-extinction-of-the-vaquita/#:~:text=The%20vaquita's%20tragic%20decline%20is,nets%20and%20dwindle%20to%20extinction.

https://bycatchsolutions.org/gear/gillnets/

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/gill-net#google_vignette