BeachSeeker - 1-10-2024 at 09:50 AM
On a trip in November I found a curious looking object washed up on the beach near Los Delfines. Not knowing what it was, I didn't want to mess around
with it too much for fear of it being UXO or some other sort of thing. I took a few pictures and asked around, luckily finding someone who knew what
it was and who gave me a contact.
Apparently it is a CPOD, an acoustic sounding device which is being used in the Northern Sea of Cortez for Vaquita research. After sending several
emails, I was able to get in contact with some of the people doing the research in San Felipe. I gave them the coordinates of the CPOD and didn't hear
back, expecting they went and got it.
Last week we were back in Baja and went back to the same beach near Los Delfines. Sure enough we found the same CPOD. Knowing what it was this time, I
took it with me and asked the research team where I could give it to them. I met one of the team members at their base of operations in San Felipe and
had a great discussion about their work in Vaquita conservation and how important these CPODs are. They estimate there are 13 + or - 3 vaquita left.
And most importantly, they recently spotted a baby vaquita swimming next to its mother.
