What started eleven years ago as an emergency effort to stop the extinction of the Vaquita, the world’s most endangered marine mammal, has grown into one of the most effective and sustained missions in the history of marine conservation. This mission is stronger today than ever, thanks to the dedication of Sea Shepherd’s crews, partners, and supporters like you.
Each year on October 25, Vaquita Day, the world turns its eyes to the northern Gulf of California, the only place this rare porpoise exists. Over the past eleven years, Sea Shepherd’s crews and ships have worked side by side with Mexico’s Navy, Prosecutors, and Scientists to patrol and pull illegal nets from these fragile waters. Together we have proven that direct action and collaboration creates real results.
In the early years, our crews faced open hostility on the water, chasing poachers, cutting nets, and confronting the deadly black market for totoaba fish. Today, that same mission has evolved into a powerful alliance. Sea Shepherd works side by side with the Mexican Government to defend the Vaquita Refuge around the clock.
Together, we helped create and secure the Zero Tolerance Area, a zone where gillnets are no longer set. It is a place where porpoises, sea lions, turtles, and countless other species can finally breathe free. From those same ships, our crews now also support sea lion rescues, cutting entangled animals free and helping restore balance to these critical waters. These missions are proof that direct action creates lasting impact far beyond a single species.
“This mission has evolved,” says Campaign Director François Van Sull. “What started as an urgent act of protection has become a blueprint for collaboration. Working with Mexico’s Navy and environmental agencies, we use drones, radar, sonar, and ships to intercept illegal gillnets before they enter the protected waters of the Zero Tolerance Area.”
To every crew member, scientist, donor, and partner who has helped hold this line, thank you. Your support has powered eleven years of protection in one of the most challenging environments on Earth.
This Vaquita Day, we honor the resilience of a species that refuses to disappear and the powerful alliance of Mexico’s Navy, CONANP, PROFEPA, and other partners across the region who stand united to protect life in these waters.
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