The Vanishing Vaquita

irregulartimes.com

This is the vaquita porpoise, Phocoena sinus, and it is the rarest cetacean in the world. It is also the smallest.

Barely reaching five feet in length and weighing only about a hundred pounds, this tiny porpoise lives only in the shallow waters of the northern reaches of the Gulf of California.

Fewer than two hundred remain in the wild, and these numbers are dropping significantly every year. The main reason?

scientificamerican.com

Fishing nets, particularly the hard to see gillnets, entangle and drown these wonderful creatures on a regular basis.

Mexico has established a small reserve where the vaquita can live without the fear of nets, but it may be too little, too late.

I may be a  bit of an optimist, but I believe there is still hope. As long there are people willing to make sacrifices and put forth courageous effort, I feel very few of our fellow species are beyond saving.

If you feel moved to contribute to the continued existence of this marvelous animal, which of course I hope you do, go to http://www.vivavaquita.org/. For a species perched on the brink of extinction, every little bit helps.