By José Antonio Pérez
Aug. 16, 2017. With a budget of 4 million dollars, construction has begun on the operation camp of what will be a temporary sanctuary for the vaquita marina (Phocoena sinus). For many, this represents the last hope for saving the critically endangered vaquita, endemic to the Upper Gulf of California.
Camp 1 is located two kilometers north of El Faro of San Felipe next to El Machorro mountain in the Upper Gulf of California. Recent drone images taken by the National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF) illustrate progress on construction, which is located about 20 meters from the coast.
The NMMF, which is a non-governmental organization, detailed rescue operations are set to begin in October. Expeditions to capture the greatest number of remaining vaquita, number of which has been calculated at about 30, will be launched at that time with the participation of three teams of experts. The premise of the Vaquita Sanctuary is to hold the vaquita in semi-captivity so it may reproduce while efforts continue to rid its natural habitat in the Sea of Cortez of illegal gillnets.
