Why are vaquitas so special? 8 facts about the “world’s rarest” mammal that is about to become extinct

(CNN Spanish) – You’ve probably never seen a vaquita live – these Mexican marine mammals are extraordinarily rare, only about 10 remain, and they exclusively inhabit one area of ​​the Gulf of California. And they are also shy and elusive. In the International Day of the Vaquita Marina, which is celebrated on July 18, find out here what makes them so special and why they are on the verge of disappearing completely.

The figure: there are only about 10 vaquitas left

Currently there are only about 10 vaquitas marinas, according to the International Whaling Commission. The figure is alarmingly low, as is the speed with which the population of this mammal decreased: in 1997 it was estimated that there were just over 560 specimens, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature the figure dropped to 200 by 2005 and some 15 years later there are close to a dozen left.

The agency highlights that, just 28 years after it was discovered, the species was already classified as “vulnerable” on the IUCN red list. And since 1996 it is considered “critically endangered.”

For the WWF, the situation of the vaquita marina is a clear example of what is happening to various cetaceans, a category that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises.

The ‘world’s rarest’ marine mammal

The vaquita marina is not only the smallest marine mammal that inhabits the planet: experts describe it as the “rarest”. It is difficult to observe it in its habitat, it is elusive and shy, and it moves away if it notices the presence of boats. It is endemic to the Gulf of California or Sea of ​​Cortez, which means that it only lives there.

What you need to know to recognize them

If you spotted a vaquita porpoise, how would you recognize it? Here are some of its main characteristics: the back is dark gray, the sides are lighter gray and the belly is white. Around the eyes and lips there are black patches. It is a robust animal that weighs 55 kg in the case of adult females. They reach 1.5 meters, a little more than their male counterparts. The teeth are “spatula-shaped”, as explained by the Government. The muzzle is short and the head is rounded.

Late discovery

The formal discovery of the vaquitas was relatively recently: in 1958. However, since a little earlier there were clues of these mammals, according to the government de México, which explains that the first description, which was based on three skulls found in San Felipe, Baja California, dates from the first half of the 20th century. Subsequently, a complete description of the animal was made after the discovery of some stranded vaquitas.

His luck is linked to the crop of the totoaba, the “cocaine of the sea”

The fate of vaquitas has been strongly linked to that of another marine animal that inhabits the same region: the totoaba fish, a species similar to snook, which have a large crop highly coveted in China.

In traditional Chinese medicine, dried fish maws are believed to be aphrodisiacs and offer a myriad of health benefits. In the black market of that country, the kilograms of crop can be sold for up to US $ 8,000, according to the government from Mexico. Not for nothing has it been called “the cocaine of the sea.”

The traffic of this fish, according to Explain the UN, is controlled by organized crime.

To catch totoaba, the fishermen use gillnets or gillnets in which the vaquitas get stuck and suffocate. That is why they end up being, as the institution explains, a “collateral victim of this furtive activity.”

Habitat alteration and pollution are others of the factors that affect their survival.

Another problem: low reproduction rates

There is another challenge for the survival of sea vaquitas: their low reproductive rate, a characteristic they share with other species of cetaceans. They reproduce every two years or more and gestation lasts between 10 and 11 months. In addition, each time they only give birth to one baby. These pups weigh at least 7.5 kg at birth and measure between 70 and 78 cm.

In addition, according to the Government of Mexico, they have “low genetic variability”, which means that “they reproduce between close relatives who share the same genetic game.” “This is believed to cause some birth malformations, such as a sixth digit in the pectoral fins, vertebral deficiencies, and ovarian calcifications in some females,” he explains. here.

Conservation efforts

Efforts to protect the vaquita porpoise began decades ago. In 1992 the country banned the use of gillnets and years later, in 2017, gillnets. There is an International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita and a refuge area for this aquatic mammal. There is night fishing prohibited and ships must pass through monitored entry and exit points, to name a few measures.

This week, the government announced that it has defined new indicators for the “verification, surveillance and supervision” of fishing in the area inhabited by the porpoise. However, different organizations have warned that the efforts have been late or insufficient and are asking for more action from Mexico, but also from the United States and China, which play a relevant role in the totoaba trafficking.

Let the sad story of the baiji not repeat itself

To the experts, the alarming situation that vaquitas face reminds them of another cetacean: the baiji. The baiji was a dolphin that lived in the Yangtze River in China. At the beginning of the 20th century it was estimated that there were just over 5,000 specimens, by 1980 there were 400 left and in 1997 there were 13, according to the IUCN. The history of the baiji had a sad ending: after inhabiting the fresh waters of that river for millions of years, it became extinct in 2006. And, according to the agency, in this case too, man was responsible for habitat modifications from dam construction, boat collisions, water pollution and bycatch during fishing.

And finally: why are they called vaquitas marinas (and what other names do they have)?

“There is no clear explanation about the origin of the name”, says the UNAM. However, their appearance may provide some clues: Sea cows are stocky, with a white belly and dark rings around their eyes and mouth, says the University. Another resemblance to its terrestrial counterparts? The ancestors of the vaquita had four legs. The UNAM explains that “they returned to the water after millions of years and, little by little, they changed shape: the front legs became flippers and the back legs disappeared.”

If “vaquita marina” doesn’t convince you, you have other names to choose from: they are also called cochito, vaquita porpoise and Gulf of California porpoise.