This extremely rare dolphin is actually on the verge of extinction, with less than 10 left in the world.

The tragedy of this dolphin species - like many others - comes from humans.

In the middle of the Gulf of California (USA) there is an animal with a small and extremely innocent appearance, called the "mouse dolphin" vaquita.

Vaquita (or Phocoena sinus) is the smallest species of cetacean - a group of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. The distinctive features of the vaquita are the black rings around its eyes, its curved, jet-black lips. The vaquita has a small appearance, with females only about 1.4m long and males 1.34m.

They have the smallest range, confined to a small area in the northern Gulf of California.

Vaquitas are found in shallow, turbid coastal waters and are rarely found deeper than 30 metres. They are capable of living in shallow water from which they can easily rise to the surface. Vaquitas are commonly found at depths of 11 to 50 metres, 11 to 25 kilometres offshore, on mud and clay surfaces. Their ideal habitat consists of murky, nutrient-rich water where food is readily available.

And currently, these are also the rarest dolphins in the world, classified by scientists as extremely endangered. Because according to recent research , the number of vaquita dolphins in the wild is currently only about 10.

Vaquita dolphin.

In the luckiest scenario, the number could reach 22 individuals, but experts consider it unlikely.

The announcement was made at the International Conference on the Recovery of Vaquita (CIRVA), using data collected in 2018. And tragically, on the very day the figures were released, another vaquita death was discovered.

Specifically, experts from the marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd recently patrolled the only area where vaquitas exist in the Gulf of California. This can be considered a conservation area, and therefore the government has ordered a ban on fishing activities here.

But despite the ban, the team came across a stolen rake net containing the corpse of a white creature. The body was so decomposed that they could not immediately identify it.

But after some analysis, it turned out to be the body of a vaquita. In other words, if the conference estimates were correct, there would be only nine left in the world.

It is known that people found the vaquita porpoise since 1958, and were impressed by its unmistakable appearance: black "black eye" rings , curved, jet-black lips. Thanks to that, they are also called the "panda" of the ocean .

The vaquita's tragedy began in 1993, when humans increased the number and activity of fishing vessels. The use of trawlers to sweep the seabed was the main cause of the fish's extinction . It is estimated that those killer nets have unintentionally killed 700,000 marine animals.

The use of trawl nets to sweep the seabed is the main reason why this fish species no longer has a place to live.

Clearly, this is an extremely worrying sign for conservationists working hard to protect this species.

"One of the most amazing creatures on Earth is about to disappear forever," said attorney Sarah Uhlemann, director of the Center for Biological Conservation in the United States.

Uhlemann also said that the problem is partly due to lax laws. The Mexican government banned trawling in 2017, but has not been very strict about enforcing it. In 2018, Sea Shepherd volunteers found at least 400 illegally installed trawls.

Tracking down and removing trawl nets also puts conservationists at risk, if they come across those who have placed them. They can be attacked or even killed.

"If we stop, the vaquita will disappear. We know we will be attacked, we know we are risking our lives. But if we don't do it, the vaquita will have no chance of survival," said Jack Hutton, a member of Sea Shepherd.

Unfortunately, the vaquita's extinction was not due to humans hunting them. The vaquita was simply an 'unwilling victim' because the main target of the trawling was the totoaba , a highly valuable and endangered fish.

'There are only a handful of individuals left that give hope to the vaquita,' said Kate O'Connell of the Animal Welfare Institute. She said that when scientists first raised the alarm about the animal, there were still hundreds, even thousands, of them swimming in the ocean. That means conservation efforts over the years have been largely in vain.