IUCN Endangered, CITES Appendix II<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Named for a forehead bump resembling French Emperor Napoleon\u2019s two-pointed hat, Napoleon wrasses are some of the largest fish around coral reefs, reaching lengths of 6 feet (1.8 meters) and weights up to 400 pounds (181 kilograms). Juveniles are white with dark scale bars and black lines near their eyes but change to blue-green or brilliant purplish-blue as adults. Color isn\u2019t all they change \u2014 females can transition to males later in life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As one of the few species known to eat toxic crown-of-thorns starfish, Napoleon wrasses help maintain coral reef health. These fish live for up to 30 years but have a slow breeding rate. Collection for the live aquarium trade in Southeast Asia \u2014 often through destructive practices \u2014 and reef degradation have reduced their numbers by as much as 50%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization recommends protecting this species by establishing marine protected areas and restricting exports. Data show those measures work. Yvonne Sadovy, a marine biologist at the University of Hong Kong, reports high numbers of the fish in the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park protected area in the Philippines and large individuals in regions that do not allow exporting, such as Palau and the Maldives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These fish live in the Southwest Pacific Ocean, Indonesia, and the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IUCN Critically Endangered, CITES Appendix II<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Great hammerheads reach lengths of 20 feet (6 m) and weigh up to 1,000 pounds (454 kg). Stingrays are their preferred prey, and the sharks use small pores on their heads to detect electrical signals that rays emit while buried in the sand. Female hammerheads can have litters of six to more than 50 live pups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Scientists at Nova Southeastern University in Florida estimated in 2006 that fins from more than 73 million sharks of all species are sold globally every year. Other research estimates that about 400,000 and perhaps as many as 1.15 million great hammerheads are killed annually for their fins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe published that study some time ago,\u201d said Mahmood Shivji, a professor at the university. \u201cThere is no telling what the numbers are now. Some countries have stepped up protection, including the U.S., but it is hard to say what impact that has had globally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. prohibits shark finning and the import and sale of fins, but conservation organizations say the practice continues in many countries. Hammerheads are also discarded as bycatch and targeted by recreational anglers, and they seldom survive catch-and-release fishing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hammerheads live in tropical seas worldwide and migrate thousands of miles through the open ocean.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n IUCN Critically Endangered, CITES Appendix I <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Named for the pronounced ridge along their dorsal midline, sicklefin devil rays are olive green or brown on top and gray and white underneath. They dive deeper than other rays, down to 6,000 feet (1.83 km), and may play a critical role in connecting surface and deep-sea ecosystems. All ray species are important to the overall health of oceans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sicklefin devil rays are traded for their recognizable black-and-white gill plates. Manta and devil rays are eaten in at least 35 countries and exported from 10, according to research by an international group of scientists, including those from the Manta Trust. Additional data collection showed that fishers in at least 43 countries land rays, and those in 13 other countries discard them as bycatch. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n This widespread consumption surprised scientists and shows a need for stronger regulation and enforcement. The researchers noted 14 priority countries where action is most needed, including dive destinations Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Researchers are using satellite tagging around seamounts in the Azores to learn more about sicklefin ray movements and how sea temperature changes affect them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These rays live throughout the tropics and in warm, temperate seas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IUCN Vulnerable, CITES Appendix I, ESA Threatened, ESA Endangered (Mexico Pacific Coast population)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n These sea turtles are among the smallest, at about 2.5 feet (76 centimeters) long and 85 pounds (38.6 kg) on average. The olive ridley\u2019s varied diet includes algae, crustaceans, fish, and mollusks, and they can dive as deep as 500 feet (152 m) to forage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Threats to these animals include direct harvest, bycatch, habitat degradation, and the collection of eggs and turtles on nesting beaches. Tagging research shows that these sea turtles swim hundreds to thousands of miles along varying pathways, putting them at risk from fishing activity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thousands of females often nest together on the same beach in what are known as arribadas<\/em> (arrivals), and conservation efforts have focused on protecting these beaches in Mexico and Costa Rica. The turtles\u2019 IUCN status report, however, indicated significant declines on hundreds of solitary-nesting beaches from Mexico to Ecuador, observed retired Texas A&M University oceanography professor Pam Plotkin. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe idea has persisted that olive ridleys mainly nest in large aggregations,\u201d Plotkin said. \u201cBut there are hundreds of thousands of solitary nesters, and they are widely distributed.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Olive ridleys live in the tropical Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific and Indian oceans, Mexico\u2019s Gulf of California, and the Caribbean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IUCN Endangered<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This species is one of the smallest penguins in the world, at about 5 pounds (2.3 kg) and 19 inches (48 cm), and is endemic to the Gal\u00e1pagos Islands. They live farther north than any other penguins and have developed techniques to stay cool, including nesting in caves or volcanic hollows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These marine birds are agile underwater and can swim as fast as 20 miles (32 km) per hour. They primarily eat schooling fish, such as anchovies and sardines, that thrive in the chilly Humboldt Current flowing through the archipelago. The penguins are prey for snakes, owls, and hawks on land and for sharks and sea lions at sea. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Threats include fishing bycatch and El Ni\u00f1o events that warm the sea and reduce their prey fish populations. Gal\u00e1pagos penguins also become entangled in fishing gear and ingest plastic fragments. The Gal\u00e1pagos Conservation Trust (GCT) and partners, including the Gal\u00e1pagos National Park Directorate, remove more than 8 tons (7.26 metric tons) of plastic pollution from island beaches each year, but clean-up is a short-term fix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe will overcome this problem only by tackling long-term, systemic issues driving the plastic influx,\u201d said GCT communications manager Tom O\u2019Hara.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CITES Appendix I, ESA Endangered<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hawaiian monk seals range throughout the archipelago, from the main Hawaiian Islands northwest to Papah\u0101naumoku\u0101kea Marine National Monument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The seals forage at or near the seafloor and eat a wide variety of foods, including fish, squid, octopus, and crustaceans. These marine mammals can hold their breath for 20 minutes and dive deeper than 1,800 feet (549 m) but typically dive for about six minutes to less than 200 feet (61 m).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hunted almost to extinction in the 1800s, the population recovered in the early 1900s but began to decline in the 1950s due to limited food availability, entanglement, habitat loss, and other factors. The current population is estimated at 1,600, and they still face threats, including entanglement in marine debris and fishing gear, habitat loss, and human interaction, including intentional killings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Hawaiian monk seals spend two-thirds of their time at sea and haul out on beaches to rest and molt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IUCN Endangered, ESA Endangered<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Blue whales are the largest animals to have ever existed on Earth, growing up to 110 feet (34 m) long and weighing up to 165 tons (150 metric tons), with hearts the size of a small car. They are among the planet\u2019s loudest creatures too and are able to hear each other over almost 1,000 miles (1,609 km) with the right conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These animals cycle nutrients from ocean depths to the surface and into nutrient-poor areas. This process supports the growth of phytoplankton, microscopic organisms that form the base of the marine food chain and produce roughly half of Earth\u2019s oxygen. Dead whales sink to the depths and nourish deep-sea organisms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Threats to this species include entanglement, habitat degradation, and ship strikes. Ships kill an estimated 80 whales off the U.S. West Coast each year, with about 18 of them blue whales, said Jess Morten of the California Marine Sanctuary Foundation. That may be just the tip of the iceberg, as most strikes at sea are not noticed, and the dead whales sink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Slower ship speeds significantly reduce the likelihood of a strike being fatal and lower emissions from ships, reducing coastal air pollution. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) instituted voluntary speed reductions on the U.S. West Coast in 2007, and the Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies collaborative partnership formed in 2014 to encourage industry participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe collect data on where ships are traveling and how fast,\u201d said Morten, whose organization is involved in the program. Companies receive public recognition for compliance, which she said has bumped participation from 20% to around 70% in California. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Blue whales live in all oceans except the Arctic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information about protected species, visit IUCN at iucn.org<\/em>, CITES at cites.org<\/em>, and the U.S. ESA at Learn more about sicklefin devil rays and great hammerhead sharks in these videos.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to help: <\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nGreat Hammerhead Sharks (Sphyrna mokarran<\/em>)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Hammerhead](\"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Q1_3_WaterPlanet-450x640-1.webp\")
How to help: <\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nSicklefin Devil Rays (Mobula tarapacana<\/em>)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Sicklefin](\"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Q1_4_WaterPlanet-450x300-1.webp\")
How to help: <\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nOlive Ridley Sea Turtles (<\/strong>Lepidochelys olivacea<\/em><\/strong>)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Olive](\"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Q1_5_WaterPlanet-450x300-1.webp\")
How to help:<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Gal\u00e1pagos Penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus<\/em>)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Small](\"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Q1_6_WaterPlanet-450x300-1.webp\")
How to help:<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nHawaiian Monk Seals (Neomonachus schauinslandi<\/em>)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Hawaiian](\"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Q1_7_WaterPlanet-450x300-1.webp\")
How to help:<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nBlue Whales (Balaenoptera musculus<\/em>)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Blue](\"https:\/\/world.dan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Q1_8_WaterPlanet-450x300-1.webp\")
How to help:<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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fws.gov\/law\/endangered-species-act<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nEn savoir plus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n