*This is a repeat post
ATTENTION! Do you think you can write a good Vaquita poem? Let’s find out! I’m creating a Vaquita poetry contest for you! Write the best poem you can, and submit it in the comment section. If my fellow judges and I think your poem is really outstanding, I will use it as one of my future poems, giving you full credit. There can be multiple winners. The deadline is 12:00 am on January 10, 2012. I hope to read some great poems!
The scientific name of the Vaquita is Phocoena sinus, which loosely translates to gulf pig in Latin.
I recently received my Adopt-a-Vaquita kit and it’s fantastic! I find myself always wearing the sweet dog tag, and the stickers decorate our car very nicely. The pre-written letter to the U.N. is very convincing. I learned some really cool things from the article, and the beautiful picture is adorning my wall at this very moment. The fact sheet is very informative, and the personalized certificate makes me feel good about myself. 🙂 Even though it is too late for the holidays, I still recommend purchasing this kit!
In recognition of the extremely critical situation of the Vaquita, CEDO is directing most of its 2012 fundraising efforts to the protection of this critically endangered species. Any purchases in the coming year will support local fishermen’s and CEDO’s cooperative efforts at reducing by-catch in the Northern Gulf, in strengthening public and social policies and practices to protect the Vaquita’s habitat, and in educating the public on this little porpoise. New research on the Vaquita will be published onto CEDO’s website soon: http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Happy-Holidays-from-CEDO.html?soid=1103804400006&aid=0kt8vw91kEA
The initial reason of the Vaquita’s decline was its entanglement in gillnets set out for Totoaba. Totoaba are large fish in the drum family. They share the same water as the Vaquita, and because of overfishing, are also listed as Critically Endangered. Next time you eat seafood, be careful not to have Totoaba, which is often misidentified as White Sea Bass.
Christmas Special!
‘Twas the night before V-mas,
And all through the pod
Vaquita were gossiping,
With whispers and nods.
The fish were packed in the coral with care,
In hopes that St. Blue Whale would soon be there.
The calves all rested on the water’s surface,
But they couldn’t sleep because they were nervous.
The parents set out the croakers and milk,
And lay on their seabeds, softer than silk.
When up on the surface arose such a splash
That sounded like Narwhals in heated clash.
Papa V swam to the top like a jet.
And guess who was there? Guess whom he met?
St. Blue Whale, floating with a smirk.
Warm eyes and a smile, he couldn’t be a jerk.
He had eight antsy dolphins pulling his reins,
And a sack full of treats like seaweed canes.
He left some presents under the Christmas Reef,
And called to his dolphins, “Now Swimmer, now Spinner, now Breacher and Sleef,
On Logger, on Ringer, on Pinger and Turf!”
And St. Whale and his pod swam off in the surf.
The Vaquita is called the “Panda of the Sea” because of its dark eye markings, but they are both endangered, lovable mammals as well.
ATTENTION! Do you think you can write a good Vaquita poem? Let’s find out! I’m creating a Vaquita poetry contest for you! Write the best poem you can, and submit it in the comment section. If my fellow judges and I think your poem is really outstanding, I will use it as one of my future poems, giving you full credit. There can be multiple winners. The deadline is 12:00 am on January 10, 2012. I hope to read some great poems!
Fourth and final in a 4-part series: Death
As you know, every great thing must end.
Do not dread death, just savor time you spend
With family and friends, and even foes.
Life is more powerful than anyone knows,
But death ends life much faster than a cheetah.
How does this relate? Let’s meet our Vaquita.
He loves his life, frolicking with loved ones.
He lives with parents, daughters, and their sons.
La Vaquita is living his life at its best,
Everything’s perfect, this Vaquita is blessed.
Think about something while he thinks about fish:
There must be a reason this is called what it is.
Ok, fine, I’ll go back to the story.
While the pod is living in glory,
They dive and blow and breach and float.
But just ’round the corner approaches a boat.
Our little Vaquita sees a school of fish,
He dashes towards the boat, that he didn’t I wish.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, he gets caught in the net,
He rolls frantically and starts to fret.
His heart stops.
He’s gone.
But do not dread death, here’s what some say:
Life after death is just another day.
This may be true for some forms of life,
But not so with the Vaquita’s strife.
The Gulf without the Vaquita is like a forest without moss.
When one Vaquita dies, the entire species may be lost.
As part of their enforcement activities inside the Vaquita refuge, from April-October 2011 PROFEPA has:
– Completed 470 surveillance trips and 22 surveillance flights
– Written 28 inspection reports
– Confiscated 1,887 of product, 95 nets, 26 boats (pangas)
– Arrested 3 fishermen
Great job PROFEPA!
V-log 