What Is The Most Endangered Animal In The Ocean
This year, the United Nations World Wildlife Twenty-four hours is focusing on marine species for the first time.
Held on March 3 2019, the day is an opportunity to highlight the critical issues facing marine wild fauna, with a focus on supporting electric current and time to come initiatives to protect our marine species.
Sadly, many marine species are fighting for survival due to human being interference. Poaching, climatic change, pollution, oil spills, boat collisions and bycatch are all man-fabricated issues that are pushing our marine wildlife to the brink of extinction.
Our oceans and aquatic species are crucial to the planet'southward circuitous web of life, and the disappearance of even a single species tin severely affect the whole ecosystem.
In short, the world needs our sea life to survive.
To celebrate our underwater friends on World Wild fauna Mean solar day, we're taking a expect at 10 of the world'southward most endangered marine species. In this post, we discuss where to find them, and how to responsibly find our magical ocean creatures.
At Wayfairer, nosotros believe in responsible travel, and encourage all travellers to respect the environment and wild fauna of their destinations.
For more information on the world's most endangered species and how to protect our wildlife, visit the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Reddish List of Threatened Species.
1. Vaquita
The vaquita is the earth's rarest sea mammal and one of the near endangered animals in the world.
Their name ways 'little cow' in Spanish, and they are a unique species of porpoise, with a minor, chunky body and a round caput. Their eyes and lips are coloured with dark markings, giving them the advent of wearing makeup.
With less than thirty individuals left, the vaquita is critically endangered and facing imminent extinction. They live in simply one body of water in the Gulf of California and reproduce only once every two years, however information technology'south humans that have caused the most devastation to the vaquita population.
Upwards to 15% of vaquitas die in fishing nets every yr, and the species is also threatened by the use of chlorinated pesticides. In response to the threat, the Mexican government banned the fatal gillnets, however illegal fishing still occurs, and the vaquita population continues to plummet.
Where to see the vaquita?
The vaquita is establish only in the northern part of the Gulf of California in Mexico. They inhabit shallow waters, generally no deeper than xxx metres, or in the open ocean, no more than 25 kilometres from the shore.
Despite this, they are elusive creatures and very difficult to spot. One of themost recent sightingsoccurred during an 11-twenty-four hour period study over September and Oct past a team of marine scientists, who spotted 6 vaquitas, including a calf.
two. Whale sharks
Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the bounding main, known to grow up to eighteen metres long, weigh up to nineteen,000 kilograms and live for seventy to 130 years. Each whale shark has unique polka-dot markings on their body, like to a homo fingerprint.
They have mouths that are nearly a metre wide, with more 350 rows of teeth, merely these gentle giants feed mainly on plankton, using their mouths as a filtration arrangement.
As of 2016, these beautiful creatures have been classified as endangered on the IUCN Ruby-red List of Threatened Species, with analarming reduction in sightings.
Their disappearance is largely due to commercial fishing and illegal poaching, with demand coming largely from China for their meat, fins and oil which are sold for nutrient, and their skin for bags.
Where to see whale sharks?
Whale sharks thrive in warm, tropical seas, and accept been known to drift all over the world, from the Americas to Asia, to Africa and Commonwealth of australia.
I of the best places to see these creatures is Ningaloo Reef on the western coast of Australia. Whale sharks drift every yr from March to June to feed on the affluence of plankton in the surface area.
You can also visit theMaldivesto encounter the year circular population of whale sharks. Head to theSouth Ari Atollor the famed Hanifaru Bay from September to Dec for the best adventure of spotting whale sharks, due to the build upward of plankton in the wet flavor.
You'll also find whale sharks around Flores Island in Indonesia, inMafia BayinZanzibar,across central and southern America, in Koh Tao inThailand,and in Tofo Embankment in Mozambique.
If you'd like to get swimming with whale sharks, it's of import to never swim as well close, never touch the animals, and never use flash photography. Read thisguide to Responsible Marine Interactionsfor more than do's and don'ts in the underwater earth.
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3. Hawksbill ocean turtle
The Hawksbill bounding main turtle is one of the smallest species of turtle, distinguished past their stunning gilded and brownish patterned shells (known equally tortoiseshell).
The Hawksbill sea turtle is the near endangered species of turtle in the world, and is classified as critically endangered by IUCN, with an estimated global population of viii,000, with only 1,000 nesting females.
Unfortunately, the turtles are hunted for their beautiful shells, which are sold illegally to create jewellery and ornamental products.
The commercial trade of tortoiseshell was banned in 1973, however these products, such equally earrings, necklaces, sunglasses and bekko combs (used in traditional Japanese wedding ceremony apparel), are still widely sold across the Caribbean, Asia and Fundamental America.
Where to come across Hawksbill sea turtles?
One of the largest Hawksbill sea turtle populations nests on Milman Island in Queensland, Australia and you tin also see these rare creatures in Gandoca Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica.
If you'd like to see the turtles, ensure you choose a tour with accredited local guides and avoid getting as well close to the animals.
4. Sea otter
The gorgeous body of water otter is one of the smallest marine mammals on world, and they play a crucial role in our ecosystem, feeding on body of water urchins which allows kelp forests to thrive. They're an incredible species, boasting an impressive cord of skills.
Sea otters can live their entire life without leaving the water; they are one of the few species on globe that use tools to survive (they apply rocks to hammer shells open); they are the only marine mammal that tin flip boulders over on the body of water floor; they consume betwixt 25 to forty% of their body weight everyday; and they adorably hold hands while they sleep, to continue from globe-trotting apart.
They as well have the densest fur of any creature on earth, with effectually 1 one thousand thousand hairs per square inch. Unfortunately, their beautiful fur is also their biggest threat, due to rampant hunting past humans for sea otter pelts.
Their populations once numbered over several hundred thousand, withal their numbers plummeted to less than two,000 due to the fur trade. Since the international ban on big-scale commercial hunting in 1911, numbers have increased to just over 100,000.
Sadly, the sea otter is even so classified every bit endangered by the IUCN, due to other threats such as pollution, oil spills and entanglement in fishing equipment.
Where to run across sea otters?
California in the United states is the best place to find sea otters in the wild. Prime number sea otter spotting locations include Moss Landing, Monterey Bay, Pacific Grove, Point Lobos State Reserve, Fisherman's Wharf and Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Inquiry Reserve.
You can spot them all yr round, just January and Feb are the best months to see the mothers floating with their baby otters on the stomachs, as pups are usually born betwixt November and March.
5. Whales
They are the giants of the sea, withal whales are i of the most persecuted marine species in the world. They suffer from excessive hunting for their blubber and oil. Some of the about endangered species include the blue whale, the North Atlantic Right Whale and the fin whale.
As the largest animal on world, blue whales average 25 metres in length and 140,000 kilograms in weight. Despite their supreme status, they are endangered species, with an estimated population of merely ten,000 to 25,0000.
The North Atlantic Right Whale is one of the most critically endangered species of whale, with an estimated population of 300 to 350, and no growth observed in several decades.
The fin whale is the earth's second largest mammal, and has an endangered population of simply 30,000, due to rampant whaling.
Although the 1966 International Whaling Commission has afforded whales legal protection from hunting, they even so suffer from illegal poaching, pollution, ship collisions and entanglement in fishing equipment.
Where to see whales?
Whales roam all over the world, including the Pacific, Chill, Atlantic, Indian and Mediterranean Oceans.
The Northern Hemisphere is a popular spot for whale watching, and you lot can observe several endangered species around the US, Canada, Republic of iceland, Greenland and Norway.
vi. River dolphins
River dolphins are another critically endangered species, with the Irrawaddy river dolphin, the Ganges river dolphin, the pink Amazon river dolphin and the Yangtze finless porpoise all in danger of going extinct in the near future.
There are approximately 6,000 Irrawaddy river dolphins left, with effectually 90 left in the Mekong River population in southeast Asia, while the pink Amazon river dolphin has a remaining population of around nine,000.
In that location are but around 30 Ganges river dolphins left in the Ganga river, while a 2018 census on the Yangtze finless porpoise showed a population of just 1,012 individuals.
These species are threatened past a myriad of issues including habitat loss, illegal poaching, dam edifice and irrigation projects, and entanglement in fishing equipment.
Where to come across river dolphins?
You lot can nonetheless spot Irrawaddy dolphins inKratie,in northeasternCambodia. Visitors can take a boat upwardly the Mekong River with an expert local guide, to view 1 of the terminal remaining pods of these dolphins.
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The fascinating pink river dolphins alive in freshwater environments in the Amazon region, and take been observed in rivers across Peru, Colombia, Republic of ecuador, Bolivia and Brazil.
Unfortunately, information technology'south extremely rare to spot the Yangtze finless porpoise, which only inhabits the Dongting Lake, Poyang Lake and mainstream Yangtze river in China.
It's as well rare to spot the Ganges river dolphin, which lives in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems ofBharat,Nepal and Bangladesh.
This region is ane of the near populated on earth and has been severely affected by the building of l dams, irrigation projects, pollution, and siltation from deforestation.
7. Florida manatee
Manatees are one of nature's goofiest creatures, with curt snouts and chunky bodies. Besides known as sea cows, these creatures aren't fat - their large bodies are actually packed with organs.
They are the ocean's largest herbivores, growing upward to four metres in length, weighing around 600 kilograms, and eating 10 to 15% of their body weight each day. These sweet giants have no natural predators (only humans) and even coexist peacefully with alligators.
Sadly, manatees are an endangered species due to boat collisions, entanglement in fishing gear, and habitat pollution. The current population is estimated to be around 6,000 individuals.
The Manatee Sanctuary Act in the US prohibits the disturbance of these creatures, howevera total of 804 manatees died in Florida waters in 2018, with boat collisions causing 119 of these deaths. The toxic algae crunch was also reported to have caused around 100 manatee deaths in 2018.
Where to run into Florida manatees?
You can see Florida manatees in Florida in Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River, Lee County Manatee Park, Blue Spring Country Park, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and TECO Manatee Viewing Eye. The best times to spot manatees in this region is from November to Apr.
You can also spot other subspecies of manatees in Alligator Hole in Jamaica, Swallow Caye in Belize, and Tortuguero National Park in Costa Rica.
eight. Galapagos Penguin
As the only penguin species found north of the equator and in the Galapagos Islands, this penguin is quite unique.
It's the smallest of the Southward American penguin species, and generally survive for 15 to twenty years in the wild. They are one of the few animals in the earth that mate with ane partner for life.
The Galapagos penguin is an endangered species, with less than 2,000 left in the wild. Their numbers are severely declining due to warming ocean temperatures and failing nutrient sources, brought on by El Nino Southern Oscillations (an irregular variation in winds and sea surface temperatures).
They are also threatened past introduced species such every bit dogs and cats, pollution and bycatch in fishing equipment.
The Galapagos fur seal is some other fascinating marine species that's owned to the Galapagos Islands. With a failing population of around x,000 to 15,000, the fur seal is also classified as endangered past the IUCN.
Where to run across Galapagos penguins?
The Galapagos penguin and fur seal can merely be institute in the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Republic of ecuador. The best time to visit these enchanting islands is during the warmer, wetter season of December to June, with pleasant temperatures and skilful underwater visibility.
From February to May, you lot can run across penguins, seals, bounding main lions, turtles and tortoises convenance among a blanket of spring flowers, and witness the blue-footed boobies performing their fascinating courtship dance.
You can too visit during the colder, dry out season of June to November, where an abundance of plankton arrives, providing penguins with food and a show for underwater divers.
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ix. Hawaiian monk seal
Native to the Hawaiian islands, the Hawaiian monk seal is one of merely ii mammals that are owned to Hawaii (along with the Hawaiian hoary bat). While well-nigh seals live in common cold regions, this unique species prefers to live in a tropical climate.
They are likewise i of the last two surviving monk seals on globe (including the Mediterranean monk seal), and have been classified as an endangered species since 1976.
Although tiger sharks and Galapagos sharks are known to hunt Hawaiian monk seals, their biggest predators are humans.
There are only around one,400 remaining Hawaiian monk seals, and the Hawaiian authorities is working to protect these animals and stop people harming them.
The development of coastline has threatened their habitats, and they also have one of the highest rates of entanglement in angling equipment out of all marine mammals.
Where to see Hawaiian monk seals?
This species of monk seal can only be constitute in the remote northwestern Hawaiian islands.
If you come up across a Hawaiian monk seal while exploring these islands, exist sure to follow theseguidelines on how to exist a good neighbor to Hawaiian monk seals.
10. Kemp's Ridley sea turtle
The Kemp's Ridley sea turtle is the smallest and rarest sea turtle in the earth and also 1 of the most critically endangered. They usually weigh just fifty kilograms, which is tiny compared to a leatherback turtle (another endangered species of sea turtle) which weighs over 700 kilograms.
In the 1940s, in that location were 120,000 Kemp'south Ridley sea turtle nests per flavor, but that dropped to merely 700 nests per season by the mid-1980s, due to rampant poaching for their eggs. The eggs are considered a delicacy and people would have truckloads back to United mexican states and the United states.
Today, the major threats to sea turtles are climate change, garbage in the oceans, oil spills and pollution, and entanglement in fishing equipment.
Where to meet Kemp'southward Ridley body of water turtles?
The Kemp's Ridley sea turtle is mainly found in the Gulf of United mexican states, although some nest along the western Atlantic coast.
You can find them nesting from April to September each year, with the bulk descending on Rancho Nuevo, a embankment in the Mexican country of Tamaulipas.
You can too spot them nesting on the North and South Padre Islands off the coast of Texas. It's important to never approach or disturb these precious sea turtles.
If you'd similar to spot incredible marine life on your next holiday, call our friendly team of Luxury Travel Specialists for a chat about your ideas.
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Source: https://www.wayfairertravel.com/inspiration/worlds-most-endangered-marine-species/
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