Upper Gulf of California · Vaquita Refuge · Active Operation
Saving the
Vaquita
Fewer than ten remain. Our ships are the only thing standing between them and extinction.
- Drop in illegal fishing in the Zero Tolerance Area
- 95%
- Vaquitas seen in the 2025 survey
- 7 to 10
- On patrol in the Upper Gulf since
- 2015
Sea Shepherd / The Crisis
The Last Vaquitas
The vaquita lives only in the Upper Gulf of California, a place Jacques Cousteau called the world's aquarium. Scientists estimate fewer than ten remain.
At less than five feet long, vaquitas drown in black-market gillnets set for the totoaba, a fish of similar size. The totoaba's swim bladder is trafficked overseas at prices that rival cocaine by weight, and the nets that chase it have pushed the vaquita to the edge.
They were projected to be extinct by 2021, yet they hang on. Attempts to capture vaquitas for breeding failed, but research shows they are still reproducing in the wild, with enough genetic diversity to recover if the nets stay out of the refuge. The 2025 survey saw at least one calf. See the Vaquita Survey
The refugeGillnets are banned in the Vaquita Refuge. The Zero Tolerance Area inside it, where all fishing is banned, covers the heart of the vaquita's remaining habitat. Sea Shepherd ships patrol it alongside the Mexican Navy.
A vaquita drowned in a totoaba gillnet. Credit: Luces del Siglo
Sea Shepherd / The Threat
What Threatens Them
- 01
Totoaba gillnets
Nets set for totoaba swim bladders, which have sold on the black market for as much as $80,000 a kilo, catch vaquitas as bycatch. A single illegal net can kill a devastating share of the population.
- 02
Ghost gear
Abandoned and drifting nets keep killing long after poachers leave, trapping vaquitas, sea lions, sharks, rays and turtles.
- 03
One market, many victims
The same nets kill dolphins, sea lions, sharks and sea turtles across the Upper Gulf.
- 04
No backup population
The vaquita has one of the smallest ranges of any marine mammal on Earth. The Upper Gulf is its only home.
Sea Shepherd / Explained
How the Crisis Works
Sea Shepherd / On Station
What Our Crews Do
Remove illegal nets and stop new ones going in. Sea Shepherd crews work side by side with the Mexican Navy to patrol the refuge and deter poachers.
Constant patrols
Ships on station in the refuge around the clock, with day and night watch crews.
Net retrieval
Fast launches cut, haul and remove illegal gillnets and ghost gear before they kill.
Drones and thermal optics
Night-capable drones extend surveillance far beyond what a single ship can see.
Working with the Navy
Ship-to-ship coordination with the Mexican Navy for interdiction and enforcement inside the refuge.
Every species protected
Pulling nets protects the whole ecosystem, with sea lions, sharks, rays and turtles freed alive.
Net recycling
Seized nets go to the Navy base in San Felipe to be broken down and recycled, so they never go back in the water.
Sea Shepherd / Impact
A Decade on Station
Direct action at sea changes the outcome. Every net removed is a death prevented, for the vaquita and for everything else in the Upper Gulf.
-
2015 Upper Gulf
1,000+
illegal nets pulled from vaquita habitat by Sea Shepherd crews since the campaign began.
-
2023 Zero Tolerance Area
90%
fewer fishing boats in the first 75 days after the Seahorse took up constant watch over the refuge.
-
2025 Vaquita survey
7 to 10
vaquitas seen in the CONANP-led survey on Sea Shepherd ships, including at least one calf.
-
2026 RefugeNow
572
sharks, rays and other animals freed alive from two illegal nets pulled in a single February patrol.
95%drop in illegal fishing
24/7ships on station
Zero Tolerance Area, with the Mexican Navy
Sea Shepherd / Gallery
From the Refuge
Sea Shepherd / Questions
Good to Know
Where can I see the latest population findings?
The Vaquita Survey page has the results of each survey and how they are done.
Can I give stock, a DAF grant or crypto?
Yes. See all ways to give for stock, donor-advised funds, crypto and wire transfers.
Can I volunteer on the campaign?
Crew positions at sea and volunteer roles on land open throughout the year. Apply to volunteer.
Sea Shepherd / Vaquita Defense
Keep the Ships on Station
Your support keeps crews at sea, pulls deadly gear and gives the vaquita a real chance to recover in the wild. This is one of the few conservation fights where direct action is still changing the outcome.
7 to 10 vaquitas seen in 2025, including a calf
Give every month and join the Direct Action Crew. Want to crew a ship? Volunteer at sea or on land.
