Know What Totoaba Is
- What it is: a giant croaker, related to corvina and white seabass, that can grow over 6 feet and 200 pounds.
- Where it lives: only in the Gulf of California. It spawns in the Upper Gulf near the Colorado River delta.
- Status: protected by Mexico since the 1970s and listed on CITES Appendix I, the highest level of international protection.
- Why it is in trouble: its swim bladder is smuggled to Asian markets and sells for huge prices. Illegal gillnets set for totoaba are what kill vaquitas.
Young totoaba can look like large corvina. If you are not sure what you hooked, ask the captain before you put it in the cooler.
Understand the Vaquita
The vaquita is a small porpoise, under 5 feet long, with dark rings around its eyes. It lives only in the northern Gulf of California, in waters not far from Rocky Point. Recent surveys estimate only around 10 remain. Its main threat is drowning in gillnets, especially illegal totoaba nets.
You are very unlikely to see one on a fishing trip. Hook-and-line sport fishing is not what threatens them.
Follow the Fishing Restrictions in the Upper Gulf
Mexico protects the Upper Gulf with a biosphere reserve and a vaquita refuge area, with strict limits on gillnets and commercial fishing in specific zones. For recreational anglers in Rocky Point, that means:
- Use legal hook-and-line gear only. Never use or buy fish caught with gillnets.
- Never keep totoaba, sea turtles, or marine mammals.
- Stay out of closed zones. Licensed captains know the current boundaries.
- Follow daily limits and carry your fishing license.
The main rules are a 2020 agreement published in Mexico's official gazette that bans gillnets across the Upper Gulf west of Rocky Point and creates a Zero Tolerance Area near San Felipe where all fishing is banned, the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve, and the totoaba's listing on CITES Appendix I. Rocky Point's harbor sits east of the 2020 gillnet ban zone. In early 2026, Mexico approved changes to the 2020 rules that had not been published as of this check, so boundaries may shift. Checked October 2026.
Release Protected Species Correctly
If you hook a totoaba or any protected fish:
- Keep it in the water if you can.
- Use wet hands or a wet towel, never a dry rag.
- Remove the hook quickly, or cut the line close to the hook if it is deep.
- Support the body horizontally. Do not hold a big fish by the jaw alone.
- Revive it by holding it facing into the current until it swims off.
- No photos that keep it out of the water.
Fish Responsibly with Our Partner Captains
Our partner captains fish legally with hook-and-line gear, follow current limits and closures, and release protected species. When you book through us, you know your trip is a legal one. That matters here: the Upper Gulf's fish and the people who live here depend on it.
See the Rocky Point fish species guide for what you can keep, and our Mexican fishing license guide for the rules that come with your license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you fish for totoaba?
No. Totoaba is a protected species in Mexico. Catching, keeping, or selling it is illegal. If you hook one, release it immediately and carefully.
What is a vaquita?
The vaquita is a small porpoise found only in the northern Gulf of California. It is considered the world's most endangered marine mammal, mainly threatened by entanglement in gillnets.
Do vaquita protections affect sport fishing in Rocky Point?
Protections mainly target gillnets and commercial fishing in specific Upper Gulf zones. Recreational anglers should follow current rules and use legal gear. Check official sources for current boundaries.
What does a totoaba look like?
A large, silvery-gray croaker with a long body, similar to a big corvina or white seabass. If you are unsure, ask your captain and release it.