co/vaquitas Vaquitas are the smallest Cetaceans in the ocean, only growing up to around 140-150cm long. They are also the rarest, and most endangered marine mammals in the world, with less than 10 reported Vaquitas left in the wild in the year 2024.
But why are they so critically endangered? Vaquitas only live in a small area in the northern part of the gulf of California, in Mexico, giving them the smallest geographical range of any marine mammal. And while this area is protected, they are still often caught, and drowned, in gillnets from illegal fishing operations. Not even their natural predators take them out as much as this problem does. This problem peaked in the time between the 1930’s and the 1970’s, but even after this business was illegalized in 1975, this was still a big problem for the vaquitas, as illegal fishing operations continued to be their biggest threat.

Female vaquitas - usually around 150cm - tend to be bigger than the males, who are usually around 140cm.