Vaquita and Princess Tower

Vaquita  : Critically Endangered

Princess Tower  : 413.4m, Dubai, United Arab Emirates    

 

 

 

Vaquita and Princess Tower_102x65cm_watercolor on paper_2015

 

 

The vaquita is the world’s smallest and rarest marine mammal. The vaquita is a species of porpoise. It measures up to about 1.5 meters long and weighs about 50 kilograms. Because it is less social than other members of the dolphin family, is secretive and evasive, and has the smallest population, little is known about the vaquita’s ecology. This little porpoise wasn't discovered until 1958, and a little over half a century later, it is already on the verge of extinction. There are fewer than 30 vaquitas left in the world. The population decline is largely attributed to gillnet and dragnet fishery because they occur in shallow coastal waters where commercial fishery is done intensively. Due to the extremely small population, the risk of inbreeding is high. In 2012, the IUCN listed the vaquita as one of the top 100 fauna and flora species at the greatest risk of extinction.