Vaquitas, the smallest of all extant cetaceans, have an average length of 150 cm (the females are larger), or 140 cm (the males are smaller).
They live in the Gulf of California in Mexico and are among the most endangered species in the world.
Pandas in the water
As the smallest surviving species of cetaceans, the small-headed porpoise can be easily distinguished from any other species. Its body is small, but the triangular dorsal fin is very tall.
Their round heads do not have a long beak like other dolphins, as the most prominent symbol - the small-headed porpoise has a black circle around its lips and eyes, like a panda.
Count them the most "home"
The habitat of the vaquita is limited to a small portion of the northern Gulf of California, which makes it the most "home" species (the smallest habitat) of all marine mammal species.
About 2.5 million years ago in the Pleistocene, the ancestors of the vaquita migrated north across the equator to come here, fell in love with it at once, and did not leave.
For millions of years, they have fully adapted to living in shallow waters of less than 150 meters, and live close to the coastline, never going far, this small patch of water is muddy and warm, with little effort to swim with strong tides, and there are few natural enemies.
The tides also bring an abundant food supply, and when the tide brings up a variety of benthic fish, crustaceans and squid in shallow waters, the vaquid can easily prey, with a success rate of nearly 100%.
"Happy here, don't think about it."
Dead house, dead do not leave
Panda-eyed porpoises happily home here for 2 million years, until recent decades.
If they knew the real reason for their endangerment, they would definitely move. Speechless, the vaquita was dragged down by its neighbors who lived in the waters, their own meal, the Gulf of California totoaba.
Illegal fishing using gillnets against totoabas is widespread in the region, and despite mexican government regulations, including a ban on gillnets and a permanent fishing ban, even jail time cannot stop fishing enthusiasm.
Eat hanging on
Why? Because some people in our country buy it at a sky-high price...
For medicine is a layman, not much to say, but driven by the magical power of all things into medicine, the maw of totoaba in the Gulf of California is regarded as a component of the "miracle medicine" by the Chinese, and the market is speculated to a sky-high price - smuggled totoaba, a piece of fish maw about 100,000 yuan, 100,000 ah!
Each piece of totoaba is worth more than $93,000
In the face of such profits, don't say anything about hurting dolphins by mistake, for some people, it doesn't matter if you hurt your father by mistake.
As a result, the vaquita, which has no economic value, follows the "eating and hanging" (implicated). In 1997, an estimated 567 porpoises were still alive; by 2007, that had dropped to 150; in 2018, there were less than 19; as of February 2022, there were 10 left...
Mexican government decides to "lie flat"
In the face of unstoppable poaching, the people of the conservation organization once tried to make the "dead house" porpoise move, and the story of Meng Mu's three migrations is understood?
However, don't say three moves, the first move will be an accident. The dead house is worthy of the dead house, two small-headed porpoises that were captured and carried, one was severely depressed, and one died in situ...
Anyway, there are few, and it may be that the Mexican government is tired of the old Beauty's finger-pointing, and in 2021, it will cancel the "zero tolerance" area of the fishing ban, open fishing, and love the land.
There is hope
In fact, the Mexican government's lying principle, based on the announcement of the Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) on February 27, 2021, has only 10 left, and may never be able to restore the population.
However, American experts disagree, and their research has found that inbreeding is not a problem for the vaquita!
A common view of conservation biology and population genetics is that small groups may accumulate harmful mutations. However, through genome sequencing, it was found that the ancestors of the porpoise had experienced population bottlenecks in the past - the "dead house" they have always been inbreeding... The selection of population genetics has eliminated harmful mutations as much as possible to ensure the health of their small populations.
This means that they will remain healthy and easier to survive inbred future, which bodes well for their full recovery. Of course, the premise is that if gillnet fishing ends immediately.
Write at the end
Sunset over the West Sea
The small-headed porpoise in the dead house is equivalent to a species that lives on an isolated island in the sea, and such a species can survive to this day, has its own set of ways, and they still have hope.
However, in the face of absolute interests, the Fishing Behavior of Mexicans cannot be stopped, and the little dolphins, Lao Mei can help you so much, and the rest of them will be blessed.
Owls thank you for your attention (¬_¬)