Conservation
The Gulf of California
A Destination to Discover and Protect
The Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, has fascinated generations of Southern Californians, inviting visitors to explore its treasures through sailing, diving, swimming, and sport fishing. Impressive vistas, turquoise waters, an appealing climate, and compelling opportunities to experience local culture and cuisine continue to entice travelers from the United States in increasing numbers.
Described by Jacques Cousteau as the world’s aquarium, the Gulf of California is one of five marine ecosystems in the world with the highest productivity and biodiversity. Blue whales, fin whales, California gray whales, hammerheads, marlin, and whale sharks all pass through this area during their migrations. Also seen here are five of the eight species of sea turtles: the leatherback, hawksbill, loggerhead, Pacific green, and olive Ridley. Giant Humbolt squid, which can measure longer than seven feet (2.1 m) and weigh more than 100 pounds (45.3 kg), can be found there in the spring for feeding and spawning.
The Gulf has a unique set of habitats: the shallower northern end hosts rich intertidal areas along the coast, and tropical mangrove forests and coral reefs can be found in the southern basin that opens into the Pacific. The Gulf of California’s patchwork of relatively isolated habitats is the driving force behind its high number of endemic species. In other words, this secluded sea has one of the greatest numbers of species that are found nowhere else in the world. Because of its unique conditions, the northern region of the Gulf boasts more endemic species than the Southern Gulf.
Home to Unique Species
The vaquita (Phocoena sinus) is the smallest of all cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) and the only porpoise endemic to Mexico. This cousin to the dolphin inhabits the northern end of the Gulf and has the most restricted range of any cetacean in the world. The vaquita is critically endangered, with only a few hundred individuals remaining and perhaps as few as 150. An estimated 40-80 vaquitas are lost each year when they are trapped in fishing nets and drown. Other threats to the vaquita include the degradation of its habitat because of contamination of the water in which it lives.
The totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) is another endemic species that is found only in the Northern Gulf. Totoaba are historically large fish, once having measured at well over 200 pounds (90.7 kg). At present these steel-blue fish only reach half that size. While they once swarmed the Northern Gulf in thick schools, totoaba now face potential extinction due to overfishing and the loss of habitat in the Colorado River Delta (the upper region of the Gulf of California where the Colorado River ends its journey to the ocean). As this important mating area for tatoaba declines, so do the fish.
As Mexico’s most important fishery region, the Gulf of California provides seafood to locals and for export to other countries. This region is Mexico’s biggest producer of shrimp. But gillnet fishing from pangas (small boats) and large-scale trawling from industrial vessels combine to pose serious threats for endangered species and to the health of the fragile seabeds that are the foundation of this vulnerable ecosystem.
A Geologic Gem
About 12 million years ago the Baja California Peninsula began to separate from the Mexican mainland, creating the Gulf of California. The only inland sea in the Eastern Pacific, it is the youngest of all ocean basins and one of the most rapidly growing. Stretching 868 miles (1,400 km) from one end to the other and 130 miles (210 km) across at its widest point, the Gulf is getting wider every year.
More than 900 islands provide important nesting sites for thousands of seabirds. Most of the islands were formed when they broke off from the peninsula. The Southern Gulf has an archipelago of channels, basins, and two large islands—Angel de la Guarda and Tiburon. South of these islands, the Gulf increases in depth towards the mouth, with deep basins reaching nearly 10,000 feet (3,000 m) into the earth.
The Gulf of California is fed by the Colorado River. The 1,450 mile (2,330 km) long river stretches from high in the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming through Utah and Colorado, into Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona, descending into California, and ending its life as a river when it drains into the Gulf of California in Baja California, Mexico. Along the way, the water is harnessed by dams to generate power and diverted into aqueducts for many purposes, primarily agricultural and as a source for municipal water supplies. There have been more than a few years of drought and high water usage in which the river has been reduced to a trickle before reaching the delta.
A Diminishing Delta
While we may not realize that we have a connection to the Gulf of California, the water demands of live in Southern California means we all share in the impact on this important ecosystem. We as Californians are having vast impacts on this environment, both as tourists and because of our great need for water. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California imports water from the Colorado River to supplement local supplies for 18 million people.
The Colorado Delta region was once an impressive wetland. Godfrey Sykes, who completed the first survey in the early 1900s, described it as a wetland jungle with a 90-foot-tall forest of Amazonian proportions, home to waterfowl, jaguar, and a fishing-dependent Native American culture. The delta ecosystem once occupied more than two million acres, an area about the size of Rhode Island. The Colorado River supplied water, sediment, and nutrients to a complex of wetlands that provided feeding and nesting grounds for birds and spawning and nursery grounds for fishes and crustaceans.
But the diversion of water away from the Colorado River has had serious environmental effects on the ecology of the upper reaches of the Gulf of California. The construction of more than 20 dams along the river since the 1930s has reduced or altogether eliminated the flow of water and sediment to the Gulf, except during years of unusually high rainfall. As a result, this region was transformed from a lush wetland into an arid delta environment. The delta has been reduced by more than ninety percent over the past 80 years.
Seeking Solutions
Further degradation of the Gulf has resulted from development. When tourists go to explore the Mexican coast, their expectations are increasingly to find the same amenities, such as large resorts and hotels, as we have in the United States. What many do not realize is that how we choose to enjoy this unique resource may determine its very future. Rather than staying in a five-star hotel on your next vacation to Baja, try an ecotourism program or explore options like camping on the beach.
The Aquarium of the Pacific believes the Gulf of California is an important ecosystem that has enormous value. After looking for a partner for an in-the-field conservation project for more than five years, the Aquarium was pleased to find one that we expect will have an enormous positive impact, both for the ecosystem and the local peoples who depend on it. In September 2007 the Aquarium announced its partnership with World Wildlife Fund. Aquarium President and CEO Jerry Schubel said, “The Gulf of California is the right geography. World Wildlife Fund is the right partner. The project is of a scale that is manageable. We have a good relationship with Mexico and share the same vision. And the project not only looks to protect the environment, but also the lives of the local peoples who have relied on the region for generations.”
WWF has been working on conservation in the Gulf of California since 1997. In addition to its efforts to address the Gulf-wide issues of fishing and tourism, WWF has given special focus to the islands of Espiritu Santo and San Pedro Martir. Thanks to its work, in June 2003 San Pedro Martir Island was declared a Biosphere Reserve by the Mexican government, which protects more than 115 square miles of marine and island territory under federal jurisdiction. This island is one of the best preserved in the Gulf and is home to two endemic lizards—the sideblotched lizard (Uta palmeri) and the whiptail (Cnenidophorus martyris)—and an endemic fish-eating bat (Myotis vivesi). Ten land bird and 17 seabird species live on this island, including the world’s fourth largest population of the Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii).
In the months to come the Aquarium of the Pacific will transform our existing Sea of Cortez exhibit in the Southern California/Baja Gallery into a significantly enhanced Gulf of California exhibition that will reopen on April 30, 2008. The enhancements will include the addition of new fishes found in this marine habitat. New signs and videos will focus on the geological formation and evolution of the Gulf of California basin and its ecosystem, telling the story of its past, present, and prospects for the future. In our Honda Theater, there will be a new free film created by the Aquarium on the Gulf of California, entitled A Sea on the Edge.
By bringing our 1.4 million annual visitors an opportunity to learn more about the importance of the Gulf of California, we are hoping we can create greater awareness of the region and its struggles. Through our partnership with WWF, we will work towards solutions to protect this valuable marine resource for the benefit of the animals that live there, the people that depend upon them, and future generations.
If you would like to donate to this conservation project, please contact our development department at (562) 951-1617.