The vaquita porpoise, the world's smallest dolphin, is disappearing at the hands of humans.

Its demise would be a historic defeat for humanity and nature, an enormous waste: the smallest cetacean in the world would disappear. The porpoises vaquitas, small cetaceans Living in the northern Gulf of California, they are one of the most endangered animals in the world.

There are some left just 19 specimens, but the last census counted only 9. Their complete and definitive disappearance is predicted by 2020.

The smallest dolphin on the planet

The Gulf of California porpoise, taxonomically called Phocoena sinus, is the smallest dolphin on the planet, and individuals can barely reach 150 cm in length and 50 kg in weight. Of all six porpoise species, vaquitas are the smallest, recognizable by their dolphin-like shape, prominent snout, and black-ringed eyes and mouth.

It is rarely seen in waters deeper than 30 meters, and there are few records of this cetacean in the wild. It appears to swim very slowly, is elusive, and tends to avoid vessels of any kind. It surfaces to breathe with a slow, forward motion, barely disturbing the surface of the water, then disappears. It can even adapt its heart rate, through breathing alone, to the depth it needs to reach. A short dive, a fast heartbeat; a long dive, a slow heartbeat. But such intelligence is not enough for porpoises to survive and avoid extinction.

Why the vaquita porpoise is at risk of extinction

The extinction of the vaquita porpoise, needless to say, is due to human activity and illegal fishing, which, however, only accidentally involves this species. The vaquita porpoise, in fact, has never been directly hunted, but rather ends up entangled in fishermen's nets due to illegal fishing practices and, above all, its proximity to areas inhabited by the totoba, a fish similar to the sea bass that lives in the Gulf of California, subject to intensive fishing because, especially in China and the Far East, it is attributed therapeutic propertiesIn China they are willing to pay from 5000 to 9.500 dollars per 100 grams for the bladder of this fish, sold on a thriving black market, valuable and profitable, whose fishing represents a concrete threat to porpoises.

The culprits are the nets used to catch so-called "aquatic cocaine." These are called "gillnets," nearly invisible fixed nets often used to catch small fish. They have been illegal since 2015, and porpoises frequently become entangled in them. Data from the Sea Shepard organization speaks clearly: in three years, 10 porpoises have died accidentally due to illegal fishing.

How to save it from extinction

Saving this cetacean is certainly a race against time. The last remaining specimens must be kept safe. Various solutions have been adopted, ranging from human intervention to that of other dolphins. The U.S. Navy even considered to "put trained dolphins into the field" used to search for the last remaining specimens, in order to capture some of them and keep them safe until the epidemic is eradicated. illegal fishingIn Mexico, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries presented a $37 million (about €30 million) plan to ban fishing in most of the Sea of ​​Cortez. Leonardo DiCaprio, a frequent environmental activist, also supported the campaign.
Today, the vaquita is being saved primarily by Sea Shepard activists, who continue to patrol that stretch of sea trying to keep the specimens safe. However, this small cetacean is certainly at risk of extinction unless governments implement effective practices to crack down on illegal fishing.

Read also:

• Species at risk of extinction in the world
• Dolphin Intelligence: They Can Speak Very Well
• How to behave with dolphins