Save The Whales works constantly to save the vaquita, the smallest porpoise in the world. Our Facebook site contains information and updates on vaquita. Invariably, there are Facebook comments from the public concerning Maui's dolphin, the smallest dolphin in the world. Both species are critically endangered. They are are dying from drowning in gillnets set for fish or, in the case of the vaquita, set for shrimp. 

People state that there are only an estimated 55 Maui's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) making it more endangered than the vaquita (Phocoena sinus) with an estimated 150 vaquitas.This is not a contest where any species should win. 

The reason that we list vaquita as the most endangered cetacean - or most endangered porpoise - is that the Maui's dolphin is a subspecies of Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori). Hector's population estimates are around 7,000. All of the Hector's dolphins, including a second subspecies (Cephalorhynchus hectori hectori), live in the coastal waters of New Zealand. It is predicted that by 2030, the Maui's dolphin will be extinct.  

The small, shy vaquita lives in only one place in the world: the northernmost part of the Gulf of California, Baja,California, Mexico. There are no subspecies or populations in other places on the planet. This is it. Thomas A. Jefferson, Ph.D. brought the plight of the vaquita to our attention several years ago and ¡Viva Vaquita! was formed in conjunction with other nonprofit organizations. Since vaquita lives in an area that is a four-hour drive from San Diego, CA, it is our "southern neighbor."  It is for these reasons that we work to save the little vaquita, Panda of the Sea.

Our life-size newborn vaquita model named "Hope." Meet her on July 12, 2014 - International Save The Vaquita Day, Santa Cruz, CA

Granny,at 103 Years Old

 is the Oldest Known Orca in the World

"Granny," at age 103, is the oldest known orca in the world. She was recently spotted off Canada's western coast. With her were her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her official designation is J2. Granny was originally noted as early as the 1930s. It is believed she gave birth to two calves, and those calves had children of their own. Whale experts have confirmed Granny photos dating to the 1930s.

When Granny was recently sighted, she had just completed an 800-mile swim from Northern California with her pod - JPod. Orcas are identified by their saddle patch (a whitish-grey patch of pigmentation on their back, just behind the dorsal fin), eye patch and scars on their bodies or notches on their fins. Granny has a white marking on her back and a notch in her fin.

In the wild, female orcas usually live for about 50 or 60 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Orcas as old as 90 are not unheard of. Orcas in captivity have a mortality or death rate that is 2.5 times higher than a wild orca.

The oldest age of a female orca in captivity (age 50) has occurred two times. For males in captivity, it's less. The oldest male in captivity lived to age 29 and females usually die in their late 30s and early 40s. SeaWorld has stated that no one knows for sure how long killer whales live but years of photo identification of orcas in the wild confirm their ages.

J Pod is the pod most likely to appear year-round in the waters of the San Juan Islands and Southern Gulf Islands, lower Puget Sound (near Seattle), and Georgia Strait. This 25-member pod tends to frequent the west side of San Juan Island in mid to late spring.