15 of the most endangered animals in the ocean

2. Vaquitas

Vaquitas are the smallest living cetaceans, and they are found only in the Gulf of California in Mexico. There are only about 18 vaquitas remaining in the ocean. The most serious threat to these porpoises' survival is being caught in gillnets. Because of their extremely small population, Mexico has enacted a series of regulations to protect the remaining vaquitas, including establishing a Zero Tolerance Area, banning all fishing in that zone, with 24/7 surveillance.

3. Stingrays

According to the IUCN, 10 stringray species are classed as critically endangered. These include the shorttail whipray, smalltooth stingray, and wingfin stingray, among others. Like marine mammals, stingrays are threatened by vessel strikes and entanglement. They are also targeted by fishers, and many species are at risk of overfishing because stingrays mature and reproduce slowly.

4. Great hammerhead sharks

Found in tropical and warm temperate waters around the world, the great hammerhead is the largest hammerhead shark species, weighing 230 kilograms (500 pounds) and measuring four metres (13 feet) long. Great hammerheads are threatened by the global commercial shark fin trade, and they are also victims of bycatch. Sadly, demand for their fins may lead to their extinction if fishing continues to be unsustainable.

Thanks to persistent advocacy from IFAW and others, in 2022, nearly 100 species of sharks and rays were granted CITES protections, meaning they will be protected by law around the world. Initiatives like these are what will save sharks, rays, and other marine life from extinction.

5. Hawaiian monk seals

Hawaiian monk seals are one of the most endangered seal species. Found in the Hawaiian Islands and other nearby Pacific islands, there are only about 632 Hawaiian monk seals remaining in the ocean. Though they largely inhabit areas where they live far from human activities, some Hawaiian monk seals are at risk of entrapment due to degradation of old human structures and pollution due to contaminants that have been left on these islands. The most critical threats to Hawaiian monk seals today include limited food availability, entanglement in fishing gear, predation by sharks, disease transmission from feral and domestic animals, and intentional killing and harassment.

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