MEXICO-US-CONSERVATION-VAQUITA-PORPOISE

A Mexican Navy vessel patrols near the protected area seen from the Sea Shepherd's Conservation Society vessel, Seahorse, during a census mission, part of the efforts to save the endangered vaquita porpoise near San Felipe, in the Gulf of California, Baja California state, northwestern Mexico, on May 20, 2023. Mexico's authorities and the environmental organization Sea Shepherd Conservation Society worked together on a vaquita porpoise census as part of Operation Milagro (the Miracle Operation) to prevent the vaquita porpoise from disappearing forever. The species is critically endangered due to illegal gill nets used to catch totoaba, a large fish whose swim bladder can fetch thousands of dollars in China thanks to its supposed medicinal properties. (Photo by Guillermo Arias / AFP) (Photo by GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images)