The Vaquita, (Phocoena sinus), is a species of porpoise that is native to Baja California, Mexico, which is located at the northern tip of the Gulf of California. The tiniest of all extant cetaceans, its maximum body length is 150 cm. The IUCN Red List has classed the species as Critically Endangered, putting it in danger of going extinct. The main cause of the sharp drop in abundance is accidental capture in fishing nets from the unauthorized totoaba fishery. The vaquita, the tiniest species of cetacean still alive, is easily identified from other species within its habitat. It has a spherical head, no distinctive beak, and a tiny body with an extremely large triangular dorsal fin. With a white ventral field and a darker back, the coloring is primarily gray. Its eyes and lips are surrounded by noticeable black spots.
"Vaquita" translates to "little cow" in Spanish
Their reduction has been attributed to the rise in business fishing practices, including entanglement, illegal fishing, and accidental accidental captures. The vaquita has problems with entanglement due to fish nets and shrimp fishing. Open access fisheries and a lack of fisheries management are two aspects of prohibited fishing that have been linked to hunting of the vaquita's major prey source.
Other threats is Pesticides that are in the water due to agricultural runoff pose a risk since the vaquitas can consume them and become ill or even die. Furthermore, vaquitas have been negatively impacted by exposure to harmful substances.
For more information, click the link to the Vauquita article on the Wikipedia website.