International Save the Vaquita Day

You've probably never seen a live vaquita: these Mexican marine mammals are extraordinarily rare, there are only about 10 left and they live exclusively in one area of the Gulf of California. They are also shy and elusive. On the occasion of International Vaquita Day, celebrated on July 18, learn here what makes them so special and why they are on the verge of disappearing completely.

There are currently only about 10 vaquitas left, according to the International Whaling Commission (2022). The figure is alarmingly low, as is the speed with which the population of this mammal has decreased: in 1997 it was estimated that there were just over 560 specimens, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) the figure dropped to 200 by 2005 and some 15 years later there are only about a dozen left.

The organization points out that, just 28 years after its discovery, the species was already classified as "vulnerable" on the IUCN red list. And since 1996 it has been considered "critically endangered".

For WWF, the situation of the vaquita is a clear example of what is happening with several cetaceans, a category that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises.