1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of I Heart Radio, Hey 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: brain Stuff. Lauren bogabam here. Jacques Cousteau, renowned sea explorer 3 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: and scuba pioneer, spent decades exploring oceans and rivers all 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: across the globe, but few places could match the rich 5 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: biodiversity of the Gulf of California, a narrow seven hundred 6 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: mile long sea that's about eleven kilometers that separates the 7 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: Baja California Peninsula from mainland Mexico. Custo affectionately called it 8 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: the World's aquarium due to its remarkable array of marine species. 9 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 1: But today the underwater masterpieces in critical danger of losing 10 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: one of its unique denizens forever, and scientists can't emphasize 11 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: enough just how truly dire the situation has become for 12 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: one of the world's most adorable mammals. The total number 13 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: of Bikita, a small porpoise endemic to the Gulf of California, 14 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,639 Speaker 1: has windled down to just around ten as of this recording, 15 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:09,400 Speaker 1: making the Wikita the world's most endangered marine mammal. While 16 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: not all hope is lost for their survival, it hinges 17 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: on immediate action for the Mexican government and local fishers. 18 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: The Wikita is the world's smallest cetacean, which is the 19 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: order of aquatic mammals that includes whales, purpoises, and dolphins. 20 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: They only grow up to five feet that's one and 21 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: a half meters in length, and weigh in at no 22 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: more than twenty pounds or about fifty five kilos. Their 23 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: faces look like an adorable porpoise emoji, with black rings 24 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 1: around their eyes and lips that give the impression of 25 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: a perpetual grin. Vikita means little cow in Spanish. The 26 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: locals likely chose the name because the porpoises facial markings 27 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: have a bovine resemblance. The scientists are unsure of whether 28 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: the markings serve a purpose. Vikitas have a rounded head 29 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: and spade shaped teeth and no beak. Despite their small stature, 30 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: their triangular dorsal fin is larger than that of many 31 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: other porpoises, most likely to help them lower their body 32 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: temperature in their warm water habitat. If you've never heard 33 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: of the wikida, it's quite possibly due to the fact 34 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: that they were only first identified and studied in the 35 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,639 Speaker 1: mid twentieth century and seemed to be quite shy even 36 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: though they inhabit waters relatively close to shore and don't 37 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:27,040 Speaker 1: often swim deeper than nine ft or thirty meters, they've 38 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: only come to the surface every few minutes for three 39 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,079 Speaker 1: seconds at a time, and tend to stay in small 40 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: groups away from motorized boats. Many endangered species are dying 41 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 1: off due to some combination of habitat loss, pollution, or disease, 42 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: but the Wikidas demise stems from something much more simple 43 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: that could be much more easily remedied. For the article, 44 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: this episode is based on How Stuff Works. Spoke by 45 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 1: email with Sarah Yuhleman, the International Program Director and Senior 46 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 1: attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. She said the 47 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: key faces a single threat entanglement in fishing gear set 48 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 1: to catch shrimp and a giant fish called the totohaba. Historically, 49 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: most of the shrimp cought in the wikita's habitat was 50 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: shipped to the US market. The totoabas swim bladder is 51 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: consumed mostly in China, where it's believed to have medicinal properties. 52 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: The Wikita's population has declined by in the last thirty years, 53 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:28,239 Speaker 1: entirely because of entanglement and deadly fishing nets, So why 54 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 1: don't fishers and local governments step up and stop the 55 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: detrimental fishing in the area. It all comes down to money. 56 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: Totaaba's fish bladder, depending on its weight and other factors, 57 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 1: is reported to bring in anywhere from two thousand dollars 58 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: to more than thirty thousand, creating a lucrative and thriving 59 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: black market. So does the Wikita have a chance of survival? 60 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: Many endangered species struggle with the genetic effects of inbreeding 61 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: once their population reaches such a small size, but there 62 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: is some good news for the Kita. How Stuff Works 63 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: also spoke by email with Barbara Taylor, the lead Wikita 64 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAH. 65 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: As she said, even though there are only around ten remaining, 66 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: we have evidence that they're not threatened by genetic factors. 67 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,279 Speaker 1: These survivors and their calves need protection from gill nets 68 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: by guarding the small area where they remain and ensuring 69 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 1: there's no gillnet fishing of any kind there. Yulman said, 70 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: we're at the end of the line for the Wikita. 71 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: For decades, the Mexican public, scientists and conservationists have pleaded 72 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: with the Mexican government to finally protect the Wikita. Mexico 73 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: has the right laws in place. It is illegal to 74 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: fish with deadly gillnets in the vikita's habitat, but the 75 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: Mexican government lacks the will to enforce its own law, 76 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 1: and just last week dozens of boats were documented fishing 77 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: illegally within the vikita's habitat. Mexico must crack down and 78 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: end illegal fishing now or will lose the Wikita forever. 79 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:00,359 Speaker 1: There's an additional factor that makes enforcing the law the 80 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:04,280 Speaker 1: only viable option for the Wikidas survival. Captive breeding has 81 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: proven too difficult and too risky with the Wikida, Taylor explained, 82 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 1: the two wakedas captured responded poorly to handling, with one 83 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: released with signs of stress and the second that died. 84 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: Capture myopathy, in which muscle damage results from extreme exertion, struggle, 85 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 1: or stress, is common in mammals, but with only ten 86 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: individuals remaining, veterinarians didn't feel they could afford to learn 87 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: how to stop the cascade of stress resulting in death, 88 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: and such learning needs to happen when there are hundreds 89 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 1: or thousands of individuals, not tens. The wikida is a 90 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 1: true treasure of the sea that, while in great danger, 91 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:45,080 Speaker 1: can be saved with swift action. It's common to feel 92 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:48,479 Speaker 1: powerless to affect change, but you can help save the 93 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: wikita through your support of various organizations that are leading 94 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: urgent conservation efforts, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders 95 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 1: of Wildlife, and the World Wildlife Fund. The Porpoise Conservation 96 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 1: Society even offers a way to feel that direct connection. 97 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 1: You can symbolically adopt a vikita and help give them 98 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: a chance to swim the seeds for years to come. 99 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: Today's episode is based on the article with fewer than 100 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: ten left, can the Wakita b Say? On house to 101 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: works dot com, written by Katie Carmen. Green Stuff is 102 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,159 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio in partnership with hows toff 103 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: works dot Com, and it is produced by Tyler Clang. 104 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 1: Four more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the heart Radio app, 105 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.