US Navy dolphins set to begin desperate bid to save the tiny vaquita porpoises of Mexico

US Navy-trained dolphins and their handlers arrived in Mexico Thursday to participate in a last-ditch effort to catch, enclose and protect the few dozen remaining vaquita porpoises to save them from extinction.

Mexican authorities and an international group of experts say they will set out on October 12 in a fleet of small boats to find the critically endangered and elusive marine mammals with the assistance of the dolphins. Among the experts slated to help coordinate the ambitious mission is Grant Abel, a director of animal care at Ocean Park in Hong Kong.

Mexico – where rescue dogs became national heroes during last month’s earthquakes – was quick to release the names of the trained dolphins: Andrea, Fathom, Katrina and, understandably, Splash.

Mexican Environment Secretary Rafael Pacchiano said the US government “has been a great ally in this process, in this unprecedented project.”

Experts acknowledge the catch-and-enclose plan is risky; breeding in captivity has successfully saved species such as the red wolf and California condor, but the vaquita has only been scientifically described since the 1950s and has never been bred or even held in captivity. The tiny porpoises are the smallest species of cetacean, with adults typically measuring about 1.3 metres long and weighing 40kg.

“The group of dolphins is trained to help us identify where the vaquitas are, so that once they are located, the group of scientists and veterinarians can capture them and take them to a sanctuary that is almost completely built,” Pacchiano said. The sanctuary is expected to be some kind of floating pen or net enclosure in a protected bay.