Want to dive with the Vaquita Porpoise?

[Sea Save Foundation]

The world’s most endangered marine mammal is the vaquita porpoise, which lives off Mexico's Gulf of California. It is believed there are only an estimated 30 still alive Gill nets used to catch another endangered species, the totoaba fish are also mistakenly catching these porpoises as well. Totoaba fish bladders sell for $120,000 on the Chinese market. In a last ditch effort to save the vaquita porpoise, Navy trained dolphins are being used to round up the remaining vaquita into sea pens, where it is hoped they will be able to breed and increase the population. Check out number 3 to read more.

 

[NYCNaiad]

If I'm reading this correctly, they want to create pens which are "10 metres in diameter and up to 3 metres deep" (around 33 ft x 10 ft) to hold & breed animals that are around 5ft (~1.5m) in length...? That is just horrific as well.

 

[tilikum]

Is 30 specimens even going to create a viable gene pool? That is assuming all 30 survive capture.

 

[NYCNaiad]

Is 30 specimens even going to create a viable gene pool? That is assuming all 30 survive capture.

Good point. Just like with elephant seals which have supposedly recovered back to a healthy number from 20-100 individuals, but not genetically diverse: Northern Elephant Seals: Increasing Population, Decreasing Biodiversity

 

[tilikum]

Both the totoaba and the vaquitas will likely be extinct in the next decade. We are going to witness many land and ocean dwelling species go extinct in the next few decades thanks to man's hubris.