Vaquita

How it lives

It is the smallest living cetacean, with a rounded head, a tall triangular dorsal fin and dark patches around the eyes and lips. Vaquitas are usually seen alone or in pairs, often with a calf, and sometimes in groups of up to 10. Pregnancy lasts about 10 to 11 months, and a 2019 study suggests calving may be annual. Life expectancy is estimated at about 20 years.

Where it goes

Vaquitas live only in the northern Gulf of California, in shallow water less than about 150 m deep. Long movements have not been described in the sources read. They stay within a very small area.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

The first full survey in 1997 gave about 567 animals. A 2019 study found fewer than 19 remained in summer 2018, with a best estimate of about 9. Counts since 2019 are the minimum number of different animals seen in a smaller search area, and are not directly comparable with the older estimates. The 2024 survey saw 6 to 8 animals, and the September 2025 survey saw 7 to 10, including 1 to 2 calves. Researchers have not called a firm trend since 2019, and a full 2025 estimate is expected in 2026. Bycatch in gillnets, especially illegal nets set for totoaba, is the main threat. IUCN: Critically Endangered (2022). It is listed under CITES Appendix I and the US Endangered Species Act (1985). Mexico made its gillnet ban permanent in 2017.