Captive Breeding for Vaquitas?

Yes, today is the official date for the vaquita captive program to begin with the participation of the 4 navy dolphins. The AZA has supported with expertise and financial aid in the making of the vaquita care center in San Felipe. So We Still can hope for the best.

 

As I said earlier, I really hope they can find some (enough to make the program a success). It is kind of an eery feeling watching an animal that may or may not go extinct right before your eyes.

 

Scientists begin bold conservation effort to save the vaquita porpoise from extinction

This article shows the sea pen- looks a bit small.

 

The sea pen in the photo is a temporary holding structure. The other more permanent pens for the vaquitas at San Felipe are larger .

 

While I'm not optimistic, I've still got my fingers crossed. I want this to work out more than anything.

Edit: Less related, but I figured you guys might want to know that Safari Ltd. has released a vaquita figure for their 2018 line. It looks really nice.

Vaquita Porpoise

 

Lucha por salvar a la vaquita marina — ultimas

Photos have appeared of the facility.

Also, the Marine Mammal Commission has uploaded a PowerPoint on the vaquita saving plan.

https://www.mmc.gov/wp-content/uploads/Vaquita-for-MMC-2017-Annual-Mtg.pdf

 

One was caught, and then released, because it was a calf.

Scientists Rescue First Vaquita Porpoise, Making Conservation History | VAQUITACPR

 

That’s pretty bold for the Secretary of the Environment to stake his confidence in their ability to prevent extinction on the successful capturing, and then the unsuccessful maintaining, of one porpoise.

 

La Jornada: Anuncia Semarnat rescate de cría de vaquita marina en el Golfo de California
According to this report the vaquita calf was released because experts considered that it was too young to survive without its mother. It seems to have been the correct decision. The young vaquita was marked and examined before release. This proves that vaquitas are still breeding.

 

If the vaquita calf does not find its mother, the tracking device will enable it to be recaptured, but seems correct to allow the juvenile vaquita an opportunity to find its mother.

 

Vaquitas marinas aprendieron a esquivar redes de pesca
The surviving vaquitas have become quite good at avoiding nets. This has made catching them more complicated than anticipated. There have been over 17 sightings of vaquitas, including mothers and calves, so the vaquitas are there. "Rescuing" the vaquitas may take longer than was anticipated. Patience, everybody.

 

Even though it creates a delay in the rescue project, both of these complicating factors are encouraging news for the species as a whole. Hopefully they will have more success soon, though.

 

https://phys.org/news/2017-11-mexico-captures-rare-vaquita-porpoise.html#jCp

An adult female has been captured.

 

Unfortunately, this animal died.

Endangered vaquita porpoise dies after being captured off San Felipe

 

Thats rael bad news !

 

Gosh! That is a true tragedy. The death of a single specimen in an amimal that only count with about two dozens of specimens in the world, is a very large percentage of population. If they used trained dolphins for find the vaquitas, why cannot they use them for get the vaquitas in a much less stressful way, I mean, leading te vaquitas to the pens without being captured, instead hang them by slings???

 

Unfortunately the capture attempts have been abandoned - the team will remain in the area to survey the remaining population: Vaquita porpoise capture operations end on Sea of Cortez

 

After they inadvertently killed a female, this is probably for the best. On the other hand, it does lock in the sense that intense, focused conservation efforts for this species were too little, too late.

The fact that they found a calf and reproductive-age females is somewhat promising, so the species shouldn’t be written off quite yet though. The fact that they have gotten adept at avoiding nets also forebodes well. So it’s not all bad news, right?

 

Well, all that money for nothing. But I do see why they have stopped. Hopefully it isn't too late for the vaquita. We must keep our fingers crossed.