Vaquita
California harbor porpoise
The California porpoise ( Phocoena sinus ), also called Golftümmler or Vaquita is a cetacean of the family of porpoises ( Phocoenidae ). It inhabits only a small area in the northwest of the Gulf of California and is one of the most endangered mammal species at all, which is underlined by its inclusion in the IUCN list of the hundred most endangered species.
Features
With a length of only 1.5 meters and a weight of around 50 kilograms, this whale, next to the Glattschweinswal one of the smallest of his family and one of the smallest cetaceans in general. The females are larger than males. He is a total gray colored, being darker on the back than on the belly. The fin is placed in the middle of the back and larger than other porpoises.
Way of life
California harbor porpoise are found in warmer waters than the other porpoises, the Gulf of California can be warm in summer to 36 degrees Celsius. They live solitary or in pairs and feed on cephalopods and fish.
Habitat of Golftümmlers
The habitat of the Golftümmlers is about 2235 km ² off the east coast of Baja California. Since 1993 there were only about 500 copies of the Golftümmlers, various organizations such as the ASMS or IFAW scheduled for the establishment of a marine reserve in. After a 930,000 -hectare area has been set up, failed the establishment of additional protected areas to the commercial fishing industry, which had no interest in a prohibition of fishing. 1997 population was estimated again at less than 600 to 2012 to less than 200 individuals.
In the year 2006 there were still more than 400 animals. Every year die up to 80 Golftümmler as so-called by-catch in fishing nets: The cause of the reduction of the stock, neither the genetic impoverishment of a loss of habitat or pollution, but the effects of fishing are. After the 2006 vermeldeten presumed extinction of the Chinese river dolphins of Golftümmler is now considered the most endangered Kleinwal. The IUCN lists it as critically endangered ( " critically endangered ").