# Where Do Vaquitas Live?

> Vaquitas live only in the shallow northern Gulf of California. IUCN Critically Endangered. A 2025 study-area count is not a range expansion.

- **Species:** Vaquita (*Phocoena sinus*)
- **Conservation status:** Critically Endangered
- **Diet:** Carnivore (fish and squid)
- **Habitat:** Shallow northern Gulf of California
- **Lifespan:** Around 20 years
- **Top speed:** A fast, shy swimmer
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/vaquita/where-do-vaquita-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/vaquita/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The vaquita is the world's smallest and most endangered porpoise, found only in the northern Gulf of California in Mexico. It is recognized by dark rings around the eyes and lips. With only around ten individuals left, it is the most endangered marine mammal on Earth, threatened mainly by illegal gillnets.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a sighting hotline. This page is native range and habitat.

## The smallest porpoise

The vaquita is the tiniest member of the porpoise family, reaching only about 1.5 m (5 ft). Dark patches around the eyes and a dark line from the mouth give it a distinctive, almost smiling face. It is shy, surfaces briefly, and avoids boats, so it is rarely seen.

## Help protect the Vaquita

Vaquitas drown in illegal totoaba gillnets in a single Mexican gulf. 2025 surveys saw on the order of 7–10 individuals in the study area — not a weekly census of the whole range. WARN does not run Gulf of California patrols.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/vaquita/where-do-vaquita-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.