Baja & The Gulf of California

Loreto Bay is one of the only known calving areas
for the blue whale in the Gulf of Califonia.
© Will Heyman/The Nature Conservancy

Learn more about this project with the Online Field Guide.

Where the desert meets the sea, this region is characterized by rugged coastlines, cardon cacti, sandy beaches, coastal lagoons, coral reefs and palm oases. The Baja California Peninsula and Gulf of California boast some of the most unique terrestrial and marine environments in the world.

Location

Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, located on the Pacific coast, extends more than 700 miles from the U.S. border (California) south to Cabo San Lucas, just below the Tropic of Cancer. Wedged between the Peninsula and the mainland of Mexico is the Gulf of California—better known in the U.S. as the "Sea of Cortez."

Animals

This stretch of sea has species representing one-third of Earth's marine mammals and samples of more than 80 percent of the aquatic mammals found in the Pacific Ocean, as well as:

Vaquitas (harbor porpoises; world's smallest aquatic mammals)
Blue, fin, gray and pilot whales
Loggerhead, leatherback, hawksbill, green and olive ridley sea turtles
California sea lions and fur and elephant seals
Dolphins
Giant manta rays, hammerhead sharks, whale sharks

Birds

The rocky coasts and sea islands are home to hundreds of resident and migratory species, including:

Yellow-footed gulls
Brown pelicans
Peregrine falcons
Great horned owls

Why the Conservancy works here

The coastal marine environment of Baja and the Gulf of California owes its remarkable biological diversity to a combination of habitats including salt marsh and mangrove wetlands, island archipelagos, eelgrass and algae beds, and the northernmost coral reef in the Eastern Pacific. Deep ocean trenches and nutrient rich shallow seabeds make it one of the most important areas in the world for both commercial and sport fishing. The Gulf of California provides more than half the total of Mexican fisheries by volume. Approximately 800 species of fish are found in the Gulf.

Pollution, insufficient freshwater flows and over fishing threaten these rich coasts and marine ecosystems.

Deregulation of the commercial fisheries industry in Mexico has resulted in a steep decline in populations of high quality catches and the targeting of less-desirable fish—those lower on the food chain. This practice robs larger fish, seabirds and marine mammals of food and can endanger the functioning of entire marine ecosystems.

The longer-term threat to the biodiversity of Baja and the gulf is that of unregulated tourism development. These projects have the potential to drastically impact the sustainability of these important coastal and island ecosystems, as well as the traditional livelihoods of the many coastal communities in Baja California.

What the Conservancy is doing

Through a combination of land acquisitions, conservation agreements, stewardship programs and community outreach and education, the Conservancy is working to safeguard biodiversity at the following sites in Baja and the Gulf of California:

Isla Espíritu Santo: Located 20 miles north of La Paz in Baja California Sur, this uninhabited island encompasses 23,383 acres. When tourism development began to threaten the island, the Conservancy forged a public/private partnership with the Mexican government and other conservation organizations to purchase and permanently protect Isla Espíritu Santo and other islands.

Land of the Giants: Dominating the eastern shoreline of Baja California Sur, the Land of the Giants is a two million-acre land and seascape that harbors an array of endemic cacti and plant species. The Conservancy is protecting key coastal properties in the region through land acquisition, the establishment of conservation easements and community development projects.

Loreto Bay Marine Park: Loreto Bay Marine Park encompasses costal and marine areas that provide habitat for almost the full portfolio of marine species dwelling in the Gulf. With local partners, the Conservancy is supporting patrolling efforts in the park and is promoting the establishment and monitoring of no-take zones.

San Quintín Bay: The Conservancy is working with a coalition of partners to foster the protection and long-term management of this pristine coastal bay located in the northern state of Baja California.

Isla Guadalupe: Situated in the Pacific Ocean, 150 miles off the coast of Baja California, this remote and rugged island has been greatly affected by the spread of invasive species. The Conservancy and its partners are implementing a plan to eradicate non-native species from the island and restore native habitat.