Which marine mammal is the world's smallest cetacean?

The vaquita is the world's smallest cetacean. This porpoise reaches about 1.5 metres in length and is found only in the northern Gulf of California, also called the Sea of Cortez.

Vaquitas have a dark ring around each eye and dark lips, features that help distinguish them from other small porpoises. They generally live alone or in small groups and eat fish, squid, and crustaceans.

The species is critically endangered because many vaquitas become entangled in gillnets set illegally for totoaba. Its restricted range and extremely small remaining population make it one of the most threatened marine mammals. The vaquita is not a dolphin, although both belong to the cetacean order.