It's hard to believe, but 12 species of living beings disappear on Earth every day. Scientists even called this phenomenon the sixth mass extinction. Even more species are on the verge of extinction — the number of remaining individuals of some species can literally be counted on one's fingers. A sad example is the vaquita, or Californian porpoise (not to be confused with rodents, guinea pigs), of which, according to various sources, there are from 5 to 10 individuals left on the planet. Vaquita — it is a marine mammal, the smallest of the cetaceans. Its length does not exceed one and a half meters, and its weight does not exceed 50-55 kg. Their only habitat is the Gulf of California in Mexico. In the very near future they may disappear completely.
Vaquita is the smallest species of cetaceans. Photo source: Life.ru
Vaquita is the smallest cetacean
The California porpoise has a body shape that is not much different from other porpoises, however, as mentioned above, it is smaller in size. The color of the upper body varies from gray to dark gray. The belly is whitish or light gray. The size of the skull relative to body size is smaller than that of other cetacean species.
It should be noted that the vaquita is rather poorly studied due to its limited habitat, as well as timidity. The animal tries to avoid any swimming equipment. Therefore, you can only observe them from afar. From available observations it is known that it prefers shallow lagoons with dark water. Vaquitas are not found in waters deeper than 30 meters.
Vaquitas live in shallow waters. Photo source: znaniyaetosila.ru
An interesting feature of the Californian porpoise is that it survives even in lagoons so shallow that its back is above the surface of the water. Like all cetaceans, from time to time it emerges to take air into its lungs.
The California porpoise is believed to feed on small fish and squid found in shallow lagoons. Over the entire period of time, researchers found 17 different species of fish in the stomachs of these animals. All of them belong to the bottom shallow-water species.
Why are Californian porpoises disappearing
The sixth extinction occurs for various reasons. For example, marine mammals often suffer due to destruction of their habitat, water pollution, ship collisions, etc. However, with vaquitas the situation is different — they were on the verge of extinction due to fishing. Moreover, these animals themselves are not of interest to fishermen.
According to various estimates, there are from 5 to 10 vaquitas left in the world. Photo source: recyclemag.ru
In fact, California porpoises are having problems with the prized totoaba fish. Its meat is considered a delicacy in some countries, and the price per kilogram can reach several thousand dollars. To catch totoaba, fishermen use nets, which often catch vaquitas. Having become entangled in them, porpoises quickly die, as they are left without access to air.
In 2023, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) issued a warning about the threat of extinction of this species. The statement said the animal's extinction could not be avoided unless all gillnets were immediately removed from the Gulf of California. They must be replaced with other fishing gear, otherwise porpoises will cease to exist in the very near future.
The Mexican government has already introduced a complete ban on the use of gill nets in the Gulf. The Navy has even used concrete blocks with hooks to disrupt illegal fishing. However, poachers still continue to use nets.
Vaquitas are disappearing due to fishing. Photo source: naked-science.ru
California porpoises can be saved?
According to scientists, there is good news — Vaquitas have not stopped breeding. Researchers have discovered one new cub. This means that if the cause of the population decline can be eliminated, it can recover. Therefore, there is still hope for the preservation of the species. However, for the population to return to the level of fifteen years ago, it will take at least 50 years.
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Finally, let us remind you that many birds living in New Zealand are also on the verge of extinction. We have already talked about some of them, namely the kiwi bird and the Kakapo parrot.