Extinction Brooch Series
Delicate and vanishing, the vaquita is the most endangered marine mammal on Earth, with fewer than ten individuals remaining. This hand-woven brooch captures the porpoise’s compact body and gentle, watchful expression through softly curving form and restrained palette. Silvery-grey glass beads are layered in subtle tonal shifts, suggesting water, light, and the animal’s quiet presence beneath the surface.
The rounded silhouette and inward turn of the head convey vulnerability and attentiveness, while the meticulous beadwork echoes the fragility of a life held together by increasingly tenuous threads. Modest in scale yet profound in intent, the brooch stands as a quiet memorial and a call to care for a species on the brink of disappearance.
As of late 2025, the Vaquita population remains critically low, with surveys and expert estimates suggesting around 7 to 10 individuals, including one or two calves, offering a tiny glimmer of hope amid extreme endangerment. Immediate, strict gillnet bans are crucial for their survival. Conservation efforts, including collaboration with Sea Shepherd and the use of new technologies, aim to protect the Upper Gulf of California's habitat from illegal totoaba fishing, the main threat.