Vaquita: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Wild Mix · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. Meet the tiniest whale relative on Earth: no living cetacean is smaller. The biggest females reach only about 150 cm long.
2. It looks like it wears make-up: bold black patches circle its eyes and lips on a grey body.
3. No other whale or dolphin has such a tiny home. Vaquitas live only in a small corner of the upper Gulf of California, in Mexico.
4. A mother carries her baby for 10 to 11 months, then nurses it for 6 to 8 months until it can manage alone.
5. Vaquitas tend to travel solo or two by two, often with a calf at their side. The biggest groups ever seen held up to 10.

The quiz

1. What makes the vaquita special among whales, dolphins and porpoises?

• It is the largest
• It is the smallest (correct)
• It lives in rivers
• It has no fins

It is the smallest living cetacean, at about 150 cm at most.

2. Where are the vaquita's black patches?

• On its tail
• On its belly
• Around its eyes and lips (correct)
• On its flippers only

Black patches surround its lips and eyes.

3. Where does the vaquita live?

• Only in the upper Gulf of California (correct)
• All across the Pacific Ocean
• In the Arctic Ocean
• In the Amazon River

Its range is a small part of the upper Gulf of California, the smallest of any cetacean.

4. How long does a mother vaquita nurse her calf?

• 2 weeks
• 3 years
• 1 week
• 6 to 8 months (correct)

Calves are nursed for 6 to 8 months before becoming independent.

5. How are vaquitas usually seen?

• In huge pods of hundreds
• Alone or in pairs (correct)
• Resting on beaches
• Following ships in crowds

They are mostly spotted solo or two by two, often with a calf.

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