Cabo Pulmo Marine Park, Mexico

BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO

The small town of Cabo Pulmo. Image courtesy CaboPulmoVivo.org

Cabo Pulmo is a marine park at the southern tip of Baja California Penisula. The park holds one of the only hard coral reefs in North America. The little town of Cabo Pulmo is surrounded by desert and a mountain range and was quite isolated until tourists discovered the area. Cabo Pulmo Marine Park is seen as one of the great success stories in marine conservation. Much of that is attributable to the fact that the effort was driven by the community, not by outside interests. And as the plan developed, NGOs joined to support. But the impetus came from the people living in Cabo Pulmo. http://www.cabopulmopark.com/

The problem now is that it may have worked a little too well. Due to its sudden popularity with divers, the community now has to juggle the many problems that come with a growing influx of foreigners, property and business owners, tourism operators, and all the changes that can overwhelm a small community. Before the park was created, overfishing was ruining the resources. Now that recovery is in full swing, and marine life is returning to Cabo Pulmo, it has become one of the most popular dive destinations on the Pacific side of Mexico. One of the biggest threats they are facing is large-scale tourism projects proposed in the area.  

This little Marine Park on the edge of one of the richest ocean ecosystems in the world, the Sea of Cortez, needs our collective help to improve enforcement and management, build capacity, and potentially increase the area of protection. It is a burden that the community cannot carry alone. Help from International NGOs is needed so Cabo Pulmo can continue to evolve its plans and find balance.

Shark Allies is an extremely small player in the MPA world, but we hope to do our part to help. We are starting to build relationships that will guide our plans for the near future. Our hope is that we can contribute to the already amazing work that is being done in the region. The “how” and “when” will become clearer in the coming months.

How the park came to be

In the ’90s the tiny community of Cabo Pulmo was made up of roughly 100+ residents, of subsistence fishers and their families. Despite the remoteness, overfishing was damaging marine life and ruining livelihoods. The Cabo Pulmo community decided that it was time for a change. Due to their efforts, in 1995, the waters offshore from Cabo Pulmo were designated a National Marine Park by the Mexican government. This has, by no means, been an easy path. Government agencies, NGOs and scientists got involved and many have contributed their expertise over the years.

To better organize and strategize, Cabo Pulmo Vivo, a coalition of organizations, citizens, scholars, researchers, and members of the community, was formed. The ultimate goal is to help shape the sustainable development of the region. Read more about the history of the park and the coalition.

The Recovery

In 25 years of protection, the reef and marine life have made a remarkable recovery. Cabo Pulmo now has the highest concentration of fish in the Gulf of California. Migratory species such as sharks, sea turtles, whale sharks, giant mantas, and humpback whales once again frequent the area. The total biomass increased 463% in 14 years. Dive tourism has generated new economic benefits, generating 106 million pesos a year for the state. The protected reef generates a wealth of fish that spill over into the surrounding areas, contributing to the food security of the region.

On the shark front, Pelagios Kakunja has been the main driver of scientific research and conservation. Check out their projects and scientific publications. Please support their work as their research forms the basis for most of the current and future conservation measures for sharks and other migratory species in the region.

The Future

Cabo Pulmo has become a world-renowned example of community-driven marine conservation that banked on a sustainable tourism model. The outcome has not been perfect in every respect, and new threats are pressing against the community. But with each step, this little park and all its supporting groups, funders and agencies, are paving the way to teach us how to create economic prosperity in a sustainable way.