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Description:
Description:
In Spanish, Vaquita means "little cow." The vaquita has a large dark ring around its eyes and dark patches on its lips that form a thin line from it's mouth to it's side fins. Its top of the vaquita is dark gray. The sides are pale gray and it's belly is white with long, light gray markings. They swim in warm, shallow waters, and are very shy animals. When a boat comes close to they swim away very quickly.
Vaquitas use sonar (a special kind of beeping or clucking sound) to communicate and navigate waters. When seen, they are either alone or in small groups of two or three. The vaquita is also the only porpoise species found in very warm waters.
Habitat:
Habitat:
Vaquitas live in only a very small area, and do not travel much during their life times. They appear to live only in the northern end of the Gulf of California, just to the North of Mexico. Since their habitat is so small, and has a great deal of fishing and boat traffic, the Mexican government has been working to protect vaquita habitat.
Diet:
Diet:
Vaquitas eat ocean fish such as Gulf croaker and bronze-striped grunts. They are also known to eat squid.
Causes of Endangerment:
Causes of Endangerment:
Vaquita are often caught and drowned in fishing nets used by illegal fishing operations. Since they are such a rare animal, the waters that they live in are illegal to fish in. However, these waters are home to a wide population of fish, and many people break the law and fish in these areas. Oftentimes, the Vaquita are caught in the nets of these fisherman, and are held under water so long that they drown. Additionally, since there are so many fisherman in the area, the Vaquita have less and less food to eat. The population has dropped drastically in the last few years.
Why it Matters:
Why it Matters:
The vaquita is the most endangered cetacean in the world. With as few as 30 left, the species will become extinct without a fully enforced fishing net ban throughout their entire habitat.
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