{"id":3103,"date":"2019-11-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/gemmlab\/?p=3103"},"modified":"2019-11-10T22:25:08","modified_gmt":"2019-11-10T22:25:08","slug":"vaquita-a-porpoise-caught-between-people-and-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/gemmlab\/2019\/11\/10\/vaquita-a-porpoise-caught-between-people-and-money\/","title":{"rendered":"Vaquita: a porpoise caught between people and money"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By: <\/strong>Alexa Kownacki<\/strong><\/a>, Ph.D. Student, OSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I first learned of the critically endangered vaquita in\nearly 2015, there were an estimated 97 individuals remaining as reported by CIRVA*\n(Morell\n2014<\/a>). I was a recent graduate with a bachelor\u2019s degree in Wildlife, Fish,\nand Conservation Biology, and I, of all people, had never heard of the vaquita.\nToday, there are an estimated 19 vaquita left (Roth 2019<\/a>).\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Digital painting of a vaquita mother with her calf (Image Source: Aquarium of the Pacific).<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The vaquita (Phocoena sinus<\/em>) is a small porpoise endemic to the Sea of Cortez in the northern region of the Gulf of California, Mexico. It is the most endangered marine mammal and has been for many years, and yet, I had not heard of the vaquita. It wasn\u2019t until I listened to a lunchtime seminar hosted by NOAA Fisheries, that I heard about the porpoise. As a young scientist, \u201cin the field\u201d, I was shocked to realize that I was just learning about an animal, let alone a cetacean, actively going extinct in my lifetime. I believe it\u2019s our job to inform those around us of news in our expertise, and I had failed. I wasn\u2019t informed. As much as I tried in the past four years to describe the decline of the smallest cetacean to anyone who\u2019d listen, I was only reaching a few people at a time. But, today, the vaquita is finally capturing the public\u2019s eye thanks to celebrity support and a feature-length film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A rare photo of a vaquita (Image Source: Tom Jefferson via the Marine Mammal Center)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

From executive producer, Leonardo DiCaprio, comes the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winner, \u201cSea of Shadows<\/a>\u201d. The story of the vaquita truly is an \u201ceco-thriller\u201d and one worth watching. This is not your typical plot line of an endangered species tragically going extinct without action. The vaquita\u2019s story boasts big-name players, such as the Mexican Navy, internationally recognized scientists, Mexican cartels, Chinese mafia, celebrities, the National Marine Mammal Foundation<\/a>, and Sea Shepherd<\/a>. At the center of this documentary is the elusive vaquita. The vaquita is not hunted, in fact, this species is not desirable for fisherman. The animal is not aggressive and, in contrast, is notoriously shy, only surfacing to breathe. Furthermore, its name roughly translates into \u201clittle cow\u201d because of the rings around its eyes and its docile nature. So, why is this cute creature on the road to extinction? The answer: the wrong place at the wrong time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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