Vaquita live in shallow lagoons no more than 25 km (16 mi) from shore where there is a strong tidal mix. Although they can survive in lagoons that are so shallow that their back protrudes above the surface of the water, they prefer water that is 10 to 28 m (33 to 92 ft) deep.
What do vaquitas need to survive?
We know very little of vaquita behaviors and needs. The only attempt to keep them in human care – a last-ditch effort to save the species – failed to keep them alive in sea pens. We know they eat a variety of fish, squid, and crustaceans, but not much else about their needs.
While I was researching we ran into the question “How long do vaquitas live?”.
Vaquitas can live for at least 21 years. Pregnancy lasts about 10 to 11 months, and females are thought to give birth every other year to a single calf that is about 2.5 feet long and 16 pounds.
What kind of water do vaquitas live in?
They live in shallow, turbid waters of less than 150 m (490 ft) depth. Vaquitas live in murky warm waters within 16 miles (25.7 km) of the shoreline since there is high food availability and a strong tidal mix.
World map providing approximate representation of the vaquita’s range. Vaquitas can live for at least 21 years. Pregnancy lasts about 10 to 11 months, and females are thought to give birth every other year to a single calf that is about 2.5 feet long and 16 pounds.
What is the vaquita’s range?
Vaquitas have the smallest range of any whale, dolphin, or porpoise. They only live in the northern part of the Gulf of California, an area that is rich in fish and shrimp. Fishing is thus a major source of income for the people there, who almost exclusively use gillnets, but vaquitas can also become accidentally wrapped in the nets and drown.
The vaquita ( Spanish: [baˈkita]; Phocoena sinus) is a species of porpoise endemic to the northern part of the Gulf of California that is on the brink of extinction. Based on beached skulls found in 1950 and 1951, the scientific description of the species was published in 1958. As of March 2018 only about 12-15 individuals remain.
The vaquita is about 5 feet long and is one of the smallest members of the dolphin, whale, and porpoise family. Females are longer than males, but males have larger fins.