The vaquita, a tiny porpoise found in the northern Gulf of California, is the most endangered marine mammal species in the world. Sometimes referred to as the “pandas of the sea” for the dark rings around their eyes and smiling black lips, populations have declined by 98% in the last 30 years.

According to the latest count in October, fewer than 10 individuals are estimated to remain.

The critical lows have been driven by illegal gillnet fishing (which involves hanging a wall of netting from the surface of the water) primarily for the endangered totoaba fish, whose swim bladder is considered a delicacy in China, and can be sold for as much as $10,000 per bladder. Vaquitas, which grow to about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long and are similar in size to totoabas, are caught in the nets

See Full Page