There are fewer than 10 tiny vaquita porpoises left. Can they be saved?

Vaquitas continue to face a host of threats, including a lucrative illegal fishing industry, political apathy, and conservation measures that have been largely ineffective. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

The vaquita, the world’s tiniest marine mammal, has long teetered on the brink of extinction. The population of porpoises marked with black ringed eyes and smiling, upturned mouths has dwindled by a devastating 99% over the last decade.

Now scientists say their future is more precarious than ever, after a recent survey found fewer than 10 individuals left in the waters of their limited home range between Baja California and Mexico.