Happy New Year!

17-year-old Frédérique Lucas from the Netherlands, known on deviantART as Namu the Orca, is the Muskwa Club’s first international member! She is an extremely talented artist with a passion for nature, especially cetaceans. She has agreed to do some Vaquita artwork to help raise awareness for the world’s most endangered marine mammal, so keep an eye out for some incredible Vaquita paintings in the near future!

Where the Water Meets the Sky – Dolphins. © Copyright 2013 Frédérique Lucas

The Muskwa Club’s newest project is: Viva Vaquita!—The Musical! Here is an article about it from Muskwa’s latest newsletter:

“Muskwa’s latest harebrained scheme continued to take shape this month. Viva Vaquita!—The Musical is already gathering widespread support amongst the South Bay and Peninsula theater communities.

The full-length musical will follow the basic plot line of Muskwa’s YouTube serials while injecting lively musical numbers in a Baja California setting.

Muskwa held the first development meeting on December 12 at Peninsula High. President William Whittenbury and local theater veteran Ashley Trutanich discussed the various aspects of musical production, including costs, sets, and necessary personnel. Muskwa’s musical will be original, so the organization will be able to avoid the crippling expenses often incurred by rights purchases.

In addition, Muskwan Hannah Hilden and noted Peninsula newscaster Natalie Edelstein have agreed to join the cast. Many others have also expressed interest. Local parent and talented artist Nancy Parsons has agreed to paint the sets, noting that she has always wanted to paint underwater backdrops.

Ms. Parsons is known for her beautiful sets for the Point Vicente Elementary Variety Shows, which formed a be-loved part of many Muskwans’ childhoods.

A tentative timetable would see the musical continue development for the duration of the school year, followed by performances in the summer. All profits will go directly to Vaquita charities.

¡Viva Vaquita! has also given us the go-ahead to use their name for the show, so it will be officially titled Viva Vaquita!—The Musical. Go Muskwa!”

Please read this great article by the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium about the Muskwa Club and its president, William Whittenbury: http://www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org/events-news/news.asp?id=170.

Here is a wonderful news report about the Vaquita featuring my friend, Vaquita researcher Dr. Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho:

Don’t forget to add the #SaveTheVaquita Tweetstorm on January 1st to your New Year’s resolutions! Also, please follow these accounts on Twitter for constant Vaquita updates and news: @vlogvaquita, @MuskwaClub, @SaveTheVaquitas, @Viva_Vaquita, @vaquita_tv, @SaveTheWhalesCA, @CetaceanSociety, @World_Wildlife, @WWF_Mexico, @SaveTheVaquita, @WhaleTrackers, @earthocean, @Catlosa_, @NOAAFisheries, @cetaceanfan, and @cheryl_bcn.

It has been a spectacular year for the Vaquita and me. V-log got over 6,200 views from 68 countries in 2013, which is that many more people learning about the Vaquita. Check out this awesome report of this year on V-log, created by WordPress and with cool graphics: Click here to see the complete report.

I got some great art supplies for Christmas, and I started a Vaquita painting that should be finished within the next few weeks. In addition, I have plans to create prints and sell an original canvas painting, so stay tuned!

Also, expect a second edition of my book, The Vaquita: The Biology of an Endangered Porpoise to come out in early 2014!

It’s official! International (yes, International) Save the Vaquita Day 2014 is on July 12th! This year promises to have more, better, and bigger venues than ever. Look out for an ISTVD 2014 logo in the very near future, as well as official updates on the event as venues are confirmed. Here is a wonderful picture by Uko Gorter. Let’s make 2014 the “Year of the Vaquita”!