"For the first time since researchers have been tracking the vaquita, the estimated number of individuals of this nearly extinct species of porpoise has increased. Vaquitas, found only in a 4,000-square-kilometer area of the upper Gulf of California, wedged between Baja California and the Mexican mainland, have been dwindling since a 1997 high of 567 individuals; computer models indicate the population may have decreased by 80 percent between 2011 and 2015."
"A new survey that was conducted over several weeks in September by the Mexican government in collaboration with the nonprofit Sea Shepherd Conservation Society estimates that the population consists of seven to 10 individuals and at least one or two new calves. These numbers, up from 2024's estimate of six to eight total individuals, reflect a glimmer of hope in what has otherwise been a tragic tale of decline."
"The increase offers a reason for cautious optimism, says Catalina Lopez-Sagastegui, a marine biologist and director of the Gulf of California Marine Program at the nonprofit development organization Institute of the Americas, who was not involved in the survey.It underscores the urgency of creating the conditions necessary to improve [the vaquita's] chances of survival."
The estimated vaquita population has risen modestly to seven to ten individuals, including at least one or two new calves. Vaquitas live only in a roughly 4,000-square-kilometer area of the upper Gulf of California between Baja California and the Mexican mainland. The population fell from a 1997 high of 567 and may have declined by about 80 percent between 2011 and 2015; models once projected extinction by 2021 but the species remains. A September survey by the Mexican government and Sea Shepherd produced the new estimate, up from six to eight in 2024. Continued protections and safer fishing practices remain urgent to improve survival chances.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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