VaquitaCPR

What VaquitaCPR does

VaquitaCPR is a non-profit conservation initiative administered by the National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF) and focused on preventing the extinction of the vaquita porpoise, the most endangered marine mammal in the world, in the Upper Gulf of California. The organization's core offering is the VaquitaCPR Conservation Initiative itself, comprising rescue efforts, scientific surveys, acoustic monitoring, and anti-poaching work, supplemented by a Donation Platform that routes funds to conservation partners including Earth League International (anti-wildlife-crime operations) and Cetacean Action Treasury (community engagement and alternative fishing gear development in San Felipe). The initiative is led by Dr. Cynthia Smith (Executive Director of NMMF) and Dr. Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho (the world's leading vaquita scientist), and was prominently featured in the National Geographic documentary Sea of Shadows.

VaquitaCPR generates revenue entirely through donations from individuals acquired via social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), the Sea of Shadows documentary, and email newsletter subscriptions. Donations are accepted at variable levels determined by supporters and routed to the partner organizations executing on-the-ground conservation. The organization is a small nonprofit (11–50 employees) administered from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, with operational presence in Mexico. VaquitaCPR has no disclosed SaaS product, software platform, API, or technology offering — it is a coordination and fundraising vehicle rather than a technology company.

Strategically, VaquitaCPR's conservation actions have been integrated into NMMF's broader Operation GRACE (Global Rescue of At-Risk Cetaceans & Ecosystems) program, extending the initiative's methods to other at-risk marine mammal species. The 2021 lifting of the Mexican government's fishing ban in the vaquita's habitat represents a significant external setback that has accelerated the urgency of the organization's rescue and fundraising activities.

Name

VaquitaCPR

Legal name

VaquitaCPR

Website

https://vaquitacpr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VaquitaCPR is a non-profit conservation initiative, administered by the National Marine Mammal Foundation, dedicated to preventing the extinction of the vaquita porpoise in Mexico's Upper Gulf of California through rescue efforts and donor-funded partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

Keywords

• Marine mammal conservation
• Endangered species protection
• Wildlife conservation nonprofit
• Donation-based conservation
• Vaquita rescue

Headquarters

HQ city

Mayaguez

HQ country

Puerto Rico

HQ region

Latin America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: VaquitaCPR generates revenue entirely through donations from individuals and organizations who support vaquita conservation efforts. Donations are routed to conservation partners including Earth League International and other initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

VaquitaCPR runs a conservation program dedicated to saving the vaquita porpoise from imminent extinction through rescue efforts, scientific surveys, acoustic monitoring, and community engagement. The organization routes donor contributions to partner conservation initiatives, including Earth League International's anti-wildlife-crime operations and Cetacean Action Treasury's alternative fishing gear programs. It also supports Operation GRACE, an NMMF program that applies vaquita lessons learned to other at-risk cetaceans.

Product overview

VaquitaCPR is a conservation initiative rather than a technology product company. It operates as a single unified conservation program focused on saving the critically endangered vaquita porpoise from extinction. The core offering is the VaquitaCPR Conservation Initiative itself, supplemented by a Donation Platform for routing funds to conservation partners, the Sea of Shadows Documentary for awareness, and participation in Operation GRACE (Global Rescue of At-Risk Cetaceans & Ecosystems) — a broader National Marine Mammal Foundation program that applies vaquita conservation lessons to other at-risk marine mammals. The organization does not offer a SaaS product, software platform, or API-based services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VaquitaCPR Conservation Initiative

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Earth League International (ELI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarth League International (formerly Elephant Action League) is an innovative non-governmental organization that fights environmental/wildlife crime by merging conservation, intelligence, investigation, research, analysis, and media production. Donations are being routed to ELI as part of VaquitaCPR's conservation efforts to combat the wildlife crime driving the decline of the vaquita.
• National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVaquitaCPR is administered by the National Marine Mammal Foundation. Dr. Cynthia Smith serves as Executive Director of NMMF. The foundation applies lessons learned from vaquita conservation to Operation GRACE: Global Rescue of At-Risk Cetaceans & Ecosystems, protecting other endangered marine mammals.
• Cetacean Action TreasurycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCetacean Action Treasury conducts community engagement and alternative fishing gear development in San Felipe as part of VaquitaCPR's conservation efforts to protect the vaquita's habitat.
• Dr. Lorenzo Rojas-BrachocoreOthersDr. Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho is the world's leading vaquita scientist, serving as a key member of the VaquitaCPR team and featured in the National Geographic documentary Sea of Shadows alongside Dr. Cynthia Smith.
• National GeographicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Geographic produced the documentary Sea of Shadows featuring the VaquitaCPR team, Dr. Cynthia Smith, and Dr. Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho, telling the story of the vaquita and conservation challenges in the Upper Gulf of California.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: Nonprofit focused on marine wildlife protection, including direct-action campaigns against illegal fishing. Comparable to VaquitaCPR on mission (combating illegal gillnet/marine wildlife crime), donor-driven model, and strong media/brand identity.
• Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC): International charity dedicated to the protection of whales, dolphins, and porpoises (cetaceans). Directly comparable to VaquitaCPR's cetacean focus and donor-driven nonprofit model, with overlapping scientific and advocacy positioning.
• The Marine Mammal Center: Leading marine mammal rescue, rehabilitation, and release organization. Directly comparable to VaquitaCPR because it operates on the same nonprofit rescue-and-rehabilitate model for marine mammals and runs a large individual-donor fundraising program.
• Earth League International: Core VaquitaCPR partner that fights environmental and wildlife crime via intelligence, investigation, and media. Direct peer because it is the operational anti-poaching arm VaquitaCPR funds, and shares the same single-mission advocacy and donor-funded nonprofit model.
• National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF): Parent organization that administers VaquitaCPR and runs Operation GRACE for at-risk cetaceans. Directly comparable because it houses the same scientific leadership (Dr. Cynthia Smith) and reuses VaquitaCPR tools for broader marine mammal conservation.

Emerging players

• Re:wild: Nonprofit focused on protecting and restoring biodiversity and species at risk of extinction. Emerging-played peer — smaller and more agile than WWF/Oceana, but with a similar species-and-habitat orientation to VaquitaCPR's mission.

Broad incumbents

• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): Global nonprofit protecting animals and their habitats through rescue, advocacy, and policy. Comparable to VaquitaCPR on wildlife rescue framing and individual-donor fundraising, but with a much broader multi-species portfolio.
• Oceana: International ocean conservation advocacy organization using science and policy campaigns. Broad incumbent peer relevant to VaquitaCPR because it addresses overfishing and bycatch — the root cause of vaquita decline — at a global advocacy scale.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Global wildlife conservation powerhouse with marine mammal programs. Comparable as a large donor-funded conservation brand, though VaquitaCPR is a far more narrowly focused single-species nonprofit.
• Ocean Conservancy: Large established marine conservation nonprofit with policy, science, and grassroots programs. Broad incumbent peer that overlaps with VaquitaCPR on ocean habitat protection and donor base, but operates across a much wider portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vaquitacpr
• Facebookfacebook.com/VaquitaCPR
• Instagraminstagram.com/vaquitacpr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VaquitaCPR