Marine researchers recently spotted up to 10 critically endangered vaquita porpoises during a survey in Mexico's Upper Gulf of California, causing cautious optimism that the world's rarest marine mammal might still have a chance at recovery.
The sightings include calves and a potentially pregnant female, signaling the tiny population continues to reproduce despite decades of decline, according to Inside Climate News.
A team of veteran marine mammal researchers conducted a month-long survey in September in collaboration with the Mexican government and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, despite challenging conditions during hurricane season.
"What we're seeing is so encouraging that we have these females that are reproducing as fast as they can and their young are surviving," said Barbara Taylor, a biologist who has monitored whales, dolphins, and porpoises for more than 30 years. "I think their recovery could be on the optimistic end, but still, right now it's the time to work on the human dimension of the problem."
The vaquita, found only in the Upper Gulf of California, has been pushed to the brink by illegal gillnet fishing. When researchers first began studying the species in the late 1990s, roughly 600 vaquitas existed. Since then, numbers have fallen by more than 90%.
Protecting the vaquita represents a broader global effort to develop sustainable fishing practices that benefit both marine life and fishing communities that depend on healthy oceans. The Mexican Navy installed hundreds of concrete blocks fitted with metal hooks around the protected Zero Tolerance Area in 2022, resulting in more than a 90% drop in illegal net use within the zone.
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The government now requires more than 800 small fishing boats to carry satellite trackers showing their movements inside the vaquita refuge. Officials are also developing and testing alternative fishing gear that poses less risk to marine life.
"One thing I think is in our favor is that the conversation with the fishing communities is ongoing and has been very positive," said Marina Robles García, undersecretary of biodiversity and environmental restoration at Mexico's Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources.
"We're not in a confrontational situation, but rather one of coordination."
Similar conservation success stories have shown how dedicated efforts can bring species back from the edge. Wolf reintroduction programs have restored balance to ecosystems across North America, while marine protected areas have helped fish populations rebound across the world.
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Taylor noted the urgency of protecting areas where vaquitas are moving beyond current boundaries. "All of a sudden you go from something that's a Zero Tolerance Area on paper to a real sanctuary for vaquitas," she said of the recent enforcement improvements.
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