Endangered-porpoise numbers fall to just 250

摘要

At the northern end of the Gulf of California, where the Baja peninsula joins the rest of Mexico, the world's most endangered marine mammal is inching closer to extinction.rnWith adults only 1.5 metres long, the vaquita (Phocoena sinus), a rare porpoise found only in these waters, epitomizes the plight of small cetaceans, which bear the brunt of pollution, ship traffic and fishing because they live in rivers and coastal areas. In China, the Yangtze river dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer) was last seen in 2007 and is now considered extinct. The vaquita -vulnerable to gill nets used by local fisherman - could be the next to go.