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Vaquita Marina
México es hogar de la vaquita marina, el cetáceo más pequeño del mundo. Esta marsopa, de ojos bien delineados y labios que parecen sonreír todo el tiempo, es el único mamífero marino endémico de nuestro paí habita una pequeña área en el mar de Cortés y hoy está críticamente amenazada por una conjunción de atroces circunstancias, descritas aquí por Brooke Bessesen con pasión y sentido de urgencia. Narrado sobre el terreno, recurriendo a entrevistas con agentes clave y a la observación directa, este libro presenta las características biológicas de la Phocoena sinus, su triste condición de pesca incidental en manos de quienes buscan capturar totoaba —un pez cuyo “buche” alcanza precios astronómicos en el mercado negro de Estados Unidos y China—, los esfuerzos científicos y políticos por controlar el declive de esta especie, la colaboración internacional por rescatarla, el conflicto social que se ha desatado en las comunidades de pescadores luego de prohibirse el uso de redes de enmalle. Conservar la riqueza ecológica plantea delicados retos éticos, económicos y técnicos, que exigen la participación de una ciudadanía informada; con su relato sobre el denso tejido de ciencia, política y crimen organizado en el golfo de California, Bessesen hace un firme llamado a no repetir el deplorable destino de las especies hoy extintas por inacción gubernamental y social.
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First published September 11, 2018
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About the author
Brooke Bessesen
7 books21 followersBrooke Bessesen studies and works with wildlife, bringing tremendous experience to the writing table. Her newest book, Vaquita, is "passionate... a heartfelt and alarming tale" (Publishers Weekly) that attempts to untangle the intricate controversies behind the precipitous decline of the world’s most endangered marine mammal. Kirkus called it "gripping... a well-told and moving tale of environmentalism and conservation." And author David Helvarg wrote, "If Rachel Carson had written a True Crime book, it might read like Brooke Bessesen's Vaquita."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 9, 2021
"We never saw the vaquitas again," writes Brooke Bessesen after describing her first (and last) encounter with the elusive porpoises. It could very well serve as an epilogue to the story of la vaquita, as only about 10 are believed to be alive as I write this review. Are Bessesen's words going to be the epilogue of 2022? 4.5*
Further reading:
Witness to Extinction: How We Failed to Save the Yangtze River Dolphin
Beluga Days: Tracking the Endangered White Whale
Into Great Silence: A Memoir of Discovery and Loss among Vanishing Orcas
Spix's Macaw: The Race to Save the World's Rarest Bird
Waiting for the Macaws: And Other Stories From The Age Of Extinction
Further reading:
Witness to Extinction: How We Failed to Save the Yangtze River Dolphin
Beluga Days: Tracking the Endangered White Whale
Into Great Silence: A Memoir of Discovery and Loss among Vanishing Orcas
Spix's Macaw: The Race to Save the World's Rarest Bird
Waiting for the Macaws: And Other Stories From The Age Of Extinction
October 23, 2023
A large part of me wanted to give this book a low rating, not because it was a bad book — on the contrary, it was an excellent book — but because it was such a heartbreaking read. I lost count of the number of times it made me cry and there were moments when every turn of the page felt like a fresh blow.
Brooke Bessesen did an exemplary job of turning a complicated story into a compelling narrative. Her writing transformed the tangled tale of the unfortunate vaquita — the huge cast of characters, the messy politics, the gaps in our biological knowledge, even the seemingly endless array of acronyms — into something highly readable, but the one thing that she couldn’t bring to the story was the thing I wanted most of all: a happy ending.
It was hardly her fault, of course. As this book makes abundantly clear, we have the tools and the knowledge needed to save the vaquita. Only a frustrating combination of indolence and selfishness has stopped the necessary changes — farcically simple changes! — from taking place. The situation is so dire and the odds are so impossible that I won’t be surprised if the next edition of this book contains an obituary. However, that is exactly why it needed to be written and exactly why it deserves to be read. In all likelihood, it is too late for the vaquita, but they are not the first species that humanity has pushed to the brink of extinction and they certainly won’t be the last. It would be easy to get bogged down in despair but, as Sea Shepherd’s Oona Layolle, one of the fearless conservationists fighting for the vaquita in the Sea of Cortez, was quoted as saying: “I often feel discouraged, but I can’t give up because there’s one thing that’s for sure — that if you give up, there is no more hope.”
We need to hope. We need to try. And if a book like this doesn’t make you want to fight for the future of this planet, nothing will.
Brooke Bessesen did an exemplary job of turning a complicated story into a compelling narrative. Her writing transformed the tangled tale of the unfortunate vaquita — the huge cast of characters, the messy politics, the gaps in our biological knowledge, even the seemingly endless array of acronyms — into something highly readable, but the one thing that she couldn’t bring to the story was the thing I wanted most of all: a happy ending.
It was hardly her fault, of course. As this book makes abundantly clear, we have the tools and the knowledge needed to save the vaquita. Only a frustrating combination of indolence and selfishness has stopped the necessary changes — farcically simple changes! — from taking place. The situation is so dire and the odds are so impossible that I won’t be surprised if the next edition of this book contains an obituary. However, that is exactly why it needed to be written and exactly why it deserves to be read. In all likelihood, it is too late for the vaquita, but they are not the first species that humanity has pushed to the brink of extinction and they certainly won’t be the last. It would be easy to get bogged down in despair but, as Sea Shepherd’s Oona Layolle, one of the fearless conservationists fighting for the vaquita in the Sea of Cortez, was quoted as saying: “I often feel discouraged, but I can’t give up because there’s one thing that’s for sure — that if you give up, there is no more hope.”
We need to hope. We need to try. And if a book like this doesn’t make you want to fight for the future of this planet, nothing will.
June 10, 2023
The most heartwrenching and frustrating piece of ecology nonfiction I've read in recent memory.
February 9, 2025
Paskutiniais duomenimis vaquitų (meksikiečių meiliai vadinamom mažomis karvytėmis) likę tik 8. Aš net nežinojau apie tokius jūros žinduolius, o jų jau greit neliks :(
March 22, 2020
I thought that this book was very well-written. It had so much detail written about the vaquita and how it is endangered. This book is very powerfully written and I think that it also shows that endangered species is such a big problem in the world for so many different reasons, and it definitely needs to be solved. This is the type of book that made me want to do even more to try to help more endangered species like the vaquita so that we can protect them. The book is very heartbreaking and also brings a sense of reality into what kinds of things can cause species to become extinct.
Read
November 5, 2019Read this for some background and for an update, since I've been casually following the endangered porpoise's story for a while now. It's an emotionally charged story. It will break your heart. The key:
"Obviously, fishermen should not be allowed to obliterate entire ecosystems. Neither should conservation measures collapse communities. But where, exactly, is the midpoint?"
This question is getting asked and answered in productive ways around the world--Canada, Fiji, Hawaii. Take this article (https://e360.yale.edu/features/a-call...) where Nathan Bennett recommends a "Hippocratic oath on protecting the world's oceans":
"We need to start thinking about seascapes and landscapes as places where people and nature connect. Therefore, when we’re thinking about conservation, we need to think about how to maintain those connections, rather than simply undermining them and excluding people."
But what if...what if it's too late? The vaquita story is not unlike the situation faced by a wolf species here in the U.S. (https://www.hcn.org/issues/48.13/line...), where angry ranchers dug their heels in, and the federal agency that continually deferred to their interests essentially doomed an entire species (it's not just the Mexican government, folks...).
The situation in the gulf, where the incentive is to make the vaquita porpoise extinct as quickly as possible so that people can continue harmful and lucrative fishing practices, where the government is collusive and the cartels are involved and the locals are rightfully angry, is fucked up. No other way to say it. I don't know what's going to happen, but it should happen differently next time. It should happen differently even here in the gulf going forward, even though it will be more difficult after this experience. El golfo is still a beautiful and biologically rich and utterly unique inlet of the Pacific, and there are rumors they want to put a trench through the bottom to let enormous cruise ships get to Puerto Penasco. This place has been through the mill. Life for people here can be less boom, less bust. Let's not do this again.
For perspectives on sustainable seafood in this part of the world:
http://ediblebajaarizona.com/las-muje...
http://ediblebajaarizona.com/the-fish...
"Obviously, fishermen should not be allowed to obliterate entire ecosystems. Neither should conservation measures collapse communities. But where, exactly, is the midpoint?"
This question is getting asked and answered in productive ways around the world--Canada, Fiji, Hawaii. Take this article (https://e360.yale.edu/features/a-call...) where Nathan Bennett recommends a "Hippocratic oath on protecting the world's oceans":
"We need to start thinking about seascapes and landscapes as places where people and nature connect. Therefore, when we’re thinking about conservation, we need to think about how to maintain those connections, rather than simply undermining them and excluding people."
But what if...what if it's too late? The vaquita story is not unlike the situation faced by a wolf species here in the U.S. (https://www.hcn.org/issues/48.13/line...), where angry ranchers dug their heels in, and the federal agency that continually deferred to their interests essentially doomed an entire species (it's not just the Mexican government, folks...).
The situation in the gulf, where the incentive is to make the vaquita porpoise extinct as quickly as possible so that people can continue harmful and lucrative fishing practices, where the government is collusive and the cartels are involved and the locals are rightfully angry, is fucked up. No other way to say it. I don't know what's going to happen, but it should happen differently next time. It should happen differently even here in the gulf going forward, even though it will be more difficult after this experience. El golfo is still a beautiful and biologically rich and utterly unique inlet of the Pacific, and there are rumors they want to put a trench through the bottom to let enormous cruise ships get to Puerto Penasco. This place has been through the mill. Life for people here can be less boom, less bust. Let's not do this again.
For perspectives on sustainable seafood in this part of the world:
http://ediblebajaarizona.com/las-muje...
http://ediblebajaarizona.com/the-fish...
January 14, 2020
Vaquita: Science, Politics, and Crime in the Sea of Cortez centers on the vaquita, a critically endangered porpoise found only in a small part of the northern Gulf of California. Author Brooke Bessesen delves into the history of commercial fishing in the Gulf of California and the start of the decline for the vaquita. She discusses efforts (including the lack thereof) to save the species and what challenges these porpoises, and those looking to conserve them, are facing.
This book is extremely informative. The vaquita is an elusive and not very well-studied species, but Bessesen has gathered enough information to get you familiar with it. She explains why the vaquita has experienced such a rapid decline, a story that involves cash, cartels, corruption, and the illegal trade of an endangered fish's swim bladder. As I read the book, I couldn't help but notice parallels to the 2006 extinction of the baiji dolphin, as discussed in the book Witness to Extinction: How We Failed to Save the Yangtze River Dolphin by Samuel Turvey. . Like the baiji, the vaquita population had declined for a long time but didn't get any real attention until the situation became dire. Unlike the baiji, which faced many manmade threads, the vaquita decline is attributed to one thing, gillnets, making its endangered status and the lack of action all the more frustrating.
The author tries to retain hope for this little porpoise, but when reading about so many failures and so few successes, it's hard to be optimistic. Still, it's worth continuing the effort. If vaquitas are still out there, so is hope, however small.
Something that makes Vaquita so exciting, and tragic, is that it's documenting an ongoing battle. The next few years will make or break the fate of this species. Will it be the next big conservation success story, like that of the American alligator or the whooping crane, or will it go extinct like the thylacine and the dodo? This book will be worth reading for years to come, but if you're interested in conservation, marine biology, or cetaceans, I recommend reading it as soon as possible.
This book is extremely informative. The vaquita is an elusive and not very well-studied species, but Bessesen has gathered enough information to get you familiar with it. She explains why the vaquita has experienced such a rapid decline, a story that involves cash, cartels, corruption, and the illegal trade of an endangered fish's swim bladder. As I read the book, I couldn't help but notice parallels to the 2006 extinction of the baiji dolphin, as discussed in the book Witness to Extinction: How We Failed to Save the Yangtze River Dolphin by Samuel Turvey. . Like the baiji, the vaquita population had declined for a long time but didn't get any real attention until the situation became dire. Unlike the baiji, which faced many manmade threads, the vaquita decline is attributed to one thing, gillnets, making its endangered status and the lack of action all the more frustrating.
The author tries to retain hope for this little porpoise, but when reading about so many failures and so few successes, it's hard to be optimistic. Still, it's worth continuing the effort. If vaquitas are still out there, so is hope, however small.
Something that makes Vaquita so exciting, and tragic, is that it's documenting an ongoing battle. The next few years will make or break the fate of this species. Will it be the next big conservation success story, like that of the American alligator or the whooping crane, or will it go extinct like the thylacine and the dodo? This book will be worth reading for years to come, but if you're interested in conservation, marine biology, or cetaceans, I recommend reading it as soon as possible.
March 6, 2022
Vaquita: Science, Politics, and Crime in the Sea of Cortez is a must-read for tree huggers everywhere - and a wake-up call for those who are standing neutral on conservation. Why should we care? Brooke Bessesen tells us in compelling but kind words exactly why we must care for the extinction of plants and animals lost, here and there, through carelessness or ignorance. It really does affect our lives, as well as setting barriers in the lives of our children and grandchildren.
Published a couple of years ago, this battle is still slowly being lost. Vaquitas were unable to survive a move into protected areas or even protected birthing areas with a supervised adolescent release back into the wild. Their only option is survival in place and as long as there is a market for Drumfish bladders in China, the gill nets will remain in Vaquita's only living space. As of February 2022, Wikipedia thinks there are less than ten of these little porpoises left in the Gulf of California in Baja Mexico, and the battle against gill nets is still being fought every day around the world. Two other marine mammals are also facing destitution and extinction in our world because of that form of fishing. And that is not taking into account the other by-catches killed in those nets - sea turtles, seals, dolphins, rays, etc. It's time to equal the playing field.
Reviewed on March 5, 2022, at Goodeads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo. Not available on GooglePlay in Kindle edition.
Published a couple of years ago, this battle is still slowly being lost. Vaquitas were unable to survive a move into protected areas or even protected birthing areas with a supervised adolescent release back into the wild. Their only option is survival in place and as long as there is a market for Drumfish bladders in China, the gill nets will remain in Vaquita's only living space. As of February 2022, Wikipedia thinks there are less than ten of these little porpoises left in the Gulf of California in Baja Mexico, and the battle against gill nets is still being fought every day around the world. Two other marine mammals are also facing destitution and extinction in our world because of that form of fishing. And that is not taking into account the other by-catches killed in those nets - sea turtles, seals, dolphins, rays, etc. It's time to equal the playing field.
Reviewed on March 5, 2022, at Goodeads, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo. Not available on GooglePlay in Kindle edition.
July 29, 2020
Book Review: Vaquita by Brooke Bessesen (MG) (YA) (Adult) (Non-fiction) 4 Stars ****
In the Sea of Cortez in the northern part of the Gulf of California in Mexico, scientists are witnessing the extinction of the VAQUITA, the world's smallest and least known cetacean. So few have been spotted that many people believed they are in fact creatures of lore. "Earth will no longer be inhabitable to our kind. Saving species in captivity is not enough. We need to save whole ecosystems." As we already know, when one species disappears or can no longer maintain its place in the food chain, the balance of nature is adversely affected when creatures are forced to move to other sources for sustenance. What's the problem? No, not the dreaded Red Tide or sound disruption caused by naval exercises or experiments. Vaquita are the BYCATCH, or collateral damage of GILLNETS, expansive fishing nets spread across miles of ocean, entangling whales, sea turtles, dolphins, porpoises and others so these sea creatures drown from lack of oxygen.
Why? Mexican fishermen engage in the highly profitable fishing for totoaba for their predominantly Chinese customers who crave the prized swim bladders of these fish which are believed to prolong health and virility. The totoaba are gutted, their flesh not used as food, and what is left of their bodies is discarded. Yes, Mexicans are desperate for sources of income and rely heavily on the fishing industry and must fill their customers needs and requests, but China refuses to comply with regulations governing this ecologically destructive practice. Corruption in China and Mexico enables the black market.
What are Vaquitas? Fish and crab eating, these small porpoises can grow up to 5 ft. and weigh up to 120 lbs. Nicknamed "the panda of the sea" because of the markings around their eyes, Vaquitas are concentrated in this limited ecological system in the Sea of Cortez. Just a few years ago, scientists believed that maybe 2-3 still existed, if any at all. At most, there might be up to thirty still alive. Vaquitas are not the target—only the accidental victims.
Environmental groups attempted to trap vaquitas to keep them in enclosed sea pens so they can live and breed in safety, but these experiments end in disaster. The vaquitas do not accept or adapt to confinement and will literally bang their heads against the walls of the sea pens by swimming full force into these barriers until they have a fatal heart attack. Also, the vaquita cannot breathe freely and adequately in captivity.
Environmental groups pressure governments to use different fishing nets which will not entrap untargeted marine life. They also travel the seas to find and remove gillnets, some forgotten for years, but still acting as death traps for untold numbers of sea creatures.
Humane fishing is the goal. The numbers of vertebrates have dramatically decreased in recent years. If we are to insure that the food source from the world's oceans will be enough to feed the populations of the competing countries, then we must take appropriate action to encourage the continuation and proliferation of all species to safeguard the balance of nature so the world can work as it was meant to.
In the Sea of Cortez in the northern part of the Gulf of California in Mexico, scientists are witnessing the extinction of the VAQUITA, the world's smallest and least known cetacean. So few have been spotted that many people believed they are in fact creatures of lore. "Earth will no longer be inhabitable to our kind. Saving species in captivity is not enough. We need to save whole ecosystems." As we already know, when one species disappears or can no longer maintain its place in the food chain, the balance of nature is adversely affected when creatures are forced to move to other sources for sustenance. What's the problem? No, not the dreaded Red Tide or sound disruption caused by naval exercises or experiments. Vaquita are the BYCATCH, or collateral damage of GILLNETS, expansive fishing nets spread across miles of ocean, entangling whales, sea turtles, dolphins, porpoises and others so these sea creatures drown from lack of oxygen.
Why? Mexican fishermen engage in the highly profitable fishing for totoaba for their predominantly Chinese customers who crave the prized swim bladders of these fish which are believed to prolong health and virility. The totoaba are gutted, their flesh not used as food, and what is left of their bodies is discarded. Yes, Mexicans are desperate for sources of income and rely heavily on the fishing industry and must fill their customers needs and requests, but China refuses to comply with regulations governing this ecologically destructive practice. Corruption in China and Mexico enables the black market.
What are Vaquitas? Fish and crab eating, these small porpoises can grow up to 5 ft. and weigh up to 120 lbs. Nicknamed "the panda of the sea" because of the markings around their eyes, Vaquitas are concentrated in this limited ecological system in the Sea of Cortez. Just a few years ago, scientists believed that maybe 2-3 still existed, if any at all. At most, there might be up to thirty still alive. Vaquitas are not the target—only the accidental victims.
Environmental groups attempted to trap vaquitas to keep them in enclosed sea pens so they can live and breed in safety, but these experiments end in disaster. The vaquitas do not accept or adapt to confinement and will literally bang their heads against the walls of the sea pens by swimming full force into these barriers until they have a fatal heart attack. Also, the vaquita cannot breathe freely and adequately in captivity.
Environmental groups pressure governments to use different fishing nets which will not entrap untargeted marine life. They also travel the seas to find and remove gillnets, some forgotten for years, but still acting as death traps for untold numbers of sea creatures.
Humane fishing is the goal. The numbers of vertebrates have dramatically decreased in recent years. If we are to insure that the food source from the world's oceans will be enough to feed the populations of the competing countries, then we must take appropriate action to encourage the continuation and proliferation of all species to safeguard the balance of nature so the world can work as it was meant to.
August 30, 2018
DEAR PEOPLE OF THE WORLD,
I love the ocean. I love the clear water. I love my habitat and where I live because I feel safe in my home. And I love my parents that take good care of me. However lately, I have been feeling sad. The reason why was because my parents were killed right in front of me. One day, I was swimming with my mom and dad. We were going home from eating our food. Then out of no where a big net comes out of the abyss and decides to tangle us up. I was lucky because I escaped in time but my parents were dragged on with it. I tried to follow the path of the big net but it was going too fast. I continued swimming but soon I couldn't see it anymore. I kept on swimming until I saw it stationary. I swam there as fast as I could. By the time I had reached it, the net was filled with other victims too. I saw some bunches of shrimp on the net, some fish that live in my same area called the Totoaba and I even saw my kind as well. I saw some Vaqutia tangled lifelessly on the net. I went around the net to see if I could spot my parents. I saw them but they were not moving. I tried to use my calling voice to see if they were still alive. They didn't move. By that time I had realized that my parents were killed by fishermen trying to make a living. I slowly turned around and started swimming the other way. When I turned around the net was lifted and I could see my parents leaving the ocean. That's a day that I will never forget. Since that day, a lot of my neighbors have been killed. Now there are fewer than 20 of my kind left. I need you all to do something. I need you all to spread the word of my kind and see if you can save me. We are dying slowly and soon we will be all gone. Please tell you friends about me because then there might be a chance of survival. Tell your friends to not eat any shrimp and tell them that you can save me. Thank You.
LOVE, VAQUITA
I love the ocean. I love the clear water. I love my habitat and where I live because I feel safe in my home. And I love my parents that take good care of me. However lately, I have been feeling sad. The reason why was because my parents were killed right in front of me. One day, I was swimming with my mom and dad. We were going home from eating our food. Then out of no where a big net comes out of the abyss and decides to tangle us up. I was lucky because I escaped in time but my parents were dragged on with it. I tried to follow the path of the big net but it was going too fast. I continued swimming but soon I couldn't see it anymore. I kept on swimming until I saw it stationary. I swam there as fast as I could. By the time I had reached it, the net was filled with other victims too. I saw some bunches of shrimp on the net, some fish that live in my same area called the Totoaba and I even saw my kind as well. I saw some Vaqutia tangled lifelessly on the net. I went around the net to see if I could spot my parents. I saw them but they were not moving. I tried to use my calling voice to see if they were still alive. They didn't move. By that time I had realized that my parents were killed by fishermen trying to make a living. I slowly turned around and started swimming the other way. When I turned around the net was lifted and I could see my parents leaving the ocean. That's a day that I will never forget. Since that day, a lot of my neighbors have been killed. Now there are fewer than 20 of my kind left. I need you all to do something. I need you all to spread the word of my kind and see if you can save me. We are dying slowly and soon we will be all gone. Please tell you friends about me because then there might be a chance of survival. Tell your friends to not eat any shrimp and tell them that you can save me. Thank You.
LOVE, VAQUITA
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2021
This had to be as difficult a book to write as it was to read, as the struggle unfolded. I read it a year ago, and sent copies to family members. I am familiar with those pueblitos where the fishing families live, and ironically, drove through the oil fields where the oil comes from that will be sent to the refinery there. (At the time it made no sense why oil is being sent to a refinery in Mexico when Mexico has enough petroleum already, but that is another book.) While the numbers were low when I read the book, now, the outcome is the Mexican government decided not to enforce the fishing regulations at all. Chances are, by the time you read this book, there will be no vaquitas left. Still, it is an important book to read, for each of us are part of the choices made which put the vaquita at a lower value than the bladders of other fish. Some days it is embarrassing to be a human being on this earth. This did not occur thousands of years ago. This has occurred on our watch. This is one of the most important stories to be told; there will be no vaquitas for our grandchildren to see.
July 27, 2020
Really good, really accessible, and really sad.
Every modern book on environmental topics necessarily touches on conservation and our diminishing environment. But this is a whole book focused on one specific, charming species that is essentially past the point of no return.
I was surface-level familiar with the plight of the Vaquita, but this book made me realize that there is much more complexity to their downfall than I previously realized. It's easy for headlines to blame "the Chinese" and their taste for the Totoaba swim-bladders, but the reality is that there is moral culpability along the entire production chain, and even without Totoaba fish, the Vaquita would still likely be in mortal peril, as so many creatures worldwide are in peril due to modern industrial fishing practices.
If you like this book, I would also recommend Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg. Fishery mismanagement is pervasive on a global scale, and the Vaquita is an obvious, heart-wrenching example of it.
Every modern book on environmental topics necessarily touches on conservation and our diminishing environment. But this is a whole book focused on one specific, charming species that is essentially past the point of no return.
I was surface-level familiar with the plight of the Vaquita, but this book made me realize that there is much more complexity to their downfall than I previously realized. It's easy for headlines to blame "the Chinese" and their taste for the Totoaba swim-bladders, but the reality is that there is moral culpability along the entire production chain, and even without Totoaba fish, the Vaquita would still likely be in mortal peril, as so many creatures worldwide are in peril due to modern industrial fishing practices.
If you like this book, I would also recommend Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg. Fishery mismanagement is pervasive on a global scale, and the Vaquita is an obvious, heart-wrenching example of it.
July 25, 2025
This is a very interesting and important topic, but unfortunately the writing of this book just isn't very good. I almost DNFed, but I ended up finishing because there actually was good information in the book, but the author's voice was undeveloped and honestly rather juvenile and full of random asides. The prose was often rambling and disjointed, with the paragraphs within a chapter jumping from topic to topic with only loose connections between them, and the author's literary device of frequently asking rhetorical questions was starting to drive me crazy. A lot of the book also seemed to be the author just speculating and musing - I found myself wishing they would have grounded certain topics in actual facts and research. I did enjoy (is that the word I would use? it was very depressing, but enlightening) learning about the plight of the vaquita.
February 8, 2021
This is the story of one of the most beautiful, yet most endangered creatures on the earth. La vaquita marina. Phocoena sinus. The sea cow. The panda of the sea. It's downfall is a story of greed, crime, tragedy, and sorrow. Brooke Bessesen eloquently tells the story of this little known porpoise's plight, and the selfless work of those who are trying to protect it. It is definitely a must-read for any fan of whales and dolphins, or conservation.
'The wildlife of today is not ours to dispose of as we please. We have it in trust. We must account for it, to those who come after' - H.M. King George VI.
'The wildlife of today is not ours to dispose of as we please. We have it in trust. We must account for it, to those who come after' - H.M. King George VI.
October 20, 2020
This book changed the way I see the world and the way I live. It took me so long to read because I paused to do more research, following websites and watching documentaries. I found this book to be a good mix of memoir storytelling and factual explanation, helping me understand the complexities surrounding the efforts to preserve the vaquita. I now support vaquita conservation verbally and monetarily. If any of my friends would like a copy of this book, I will happily buy it for you! Just let me know.
August 21, 2025
“This moment is a chance for change. If we learn from the vaquita crisis and push for sanctions on gillnet fishing around the world, we just might stop the ecological bleeding before another marine mammal is forced to assume the dubious title of ‘most endangered.’”
My heart breaks for the vaquita. With maybe less than 10 left in this world, their extinction could be imminent. This book details how we got here, and what vaquita conservation looks like.
My heart breaks for the vaquita. With maybe less than 10 left in this world, their extinction could be imminent. This book details how we got here, and what vaquita conservation looks like.
May 20, 2019
Vaquita: Science, Politics, and Crime in the Sea of Cortez is a very informative, very captivating read. Covering the complexities of the vaquita story with clarity and compassion for the plight of the vaquita as well as the local fishing community, it shines a light on the ugly interests that have led this shy little porpoise to the brink of extinction.
July 3, 2021
As a wildlife biologist, and vaquita super fan since 2014, I knew I needed this book the moment I saw it (I also cried). I was hoping for something that would dive into the complexities of conservation and the human elements involved whenever a species or ecosystem is at risk. Bessesen delivers the vaquita’s story with compassion for porpoises and people. Wonderfully done.
February 11, 2019
I read this on a recent vacation to Mexico and am heartbroken to learn that there are probably less than 15 vaquitas remaining now. The author's writing style (using first person at times, as well as participants' first names) made this story quite personal and moving.
July 24, 2020
A fast-paced and grim reportage revealing how the world is losing its smallest porpoise to greed, corruption, and organised crime. See my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2018...
January 24, 2019
Very information dense description of the efforts to save the Vaquita. Makes clear the complexities of this and all conservation efforts while making the story human and compelling.
February 27, 2019
A must read
March 13, 2019
Very well written and gives great information on the endangered vaquita
February 5, 2020
Important and well-told tale of the near-extinction of the Vaquita. A must read for every person interested in conservation.
November 12, 2021
Good review of the information
March 11, 2023
Beautifully done
A heartbreaking story that was wonderfully written. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves marine mammals and the ocean.
A heartbreaking story that was wonderfully written. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves marine mammals and the ocean.
July 2, 2024
Heartwrenhing, especially considering a very similar issue with the Baltic Harbour porpoise …
September 9, 2024
“We have continued to sleep like babes under the cosy blanket of ignorance. Or perhaps the ragged quilt of denial.”
This book was written in 2018. There are now 10 vaquita left.
This book was written in 2018. There are now 10 vaquita left.
March 24, 2022
"For a species that has been evolving for millions of years to be snuffed out by our stupidity and greed, to me that is like the worst crime that can be committed."
October 16, 2024
I think I probably would have been more into this if I hadn't recently read Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins - both focus on a specific cetacean species, touch upon overfishing and animal protection laws, and both authors are active characters within their books (as readers, we are taken along with them in their adventures to learn all about dolphins or vaquitas). Bessesen's writing even reminds me a bit of Susan Casey (as does the narrator). Both books are also extremely depressing.
Points to Vaquita for teaching me that vaquitas are real animals, but a googling of current population estimates reveals that since this book's publication in 2018, the vaquita population has dropped below ten individuals. So a better pairing might actually be The Last of Its Kind: The Search for the Great Auk and the Discovery of Extinction... 😞
Points to Vaquita for teaching me that vaquitas are real animals, but a googling of current population estimates reveals that since this book's publication in 2018, the vaquita population has dropped below ten individuals. So a better pairing might actually be The Last of Its Kind: The Search for the Great Auk and the Discovery of Extinction... 😞
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