Cabo Pulmo

Once upon a time, Cabo Pulmo was a tiny, yet thriving fishing town, whose rich waters brought in a seemingly endless supply of fish to the fishermen’s nets. Commercial fishing operations moved in, and by the 1980’s the same fishermen, whose livelihoods depended on the sea, had virtually emptied the nearby waters. Worried about their ocean, the fishermen banded together and collectively agreed to stop fishing.
The town worked instead to create a protected marine zone off of their shores. In 1995, Mexico officially recognized the Cabo Pulmo National Park, a 27.5 square miles marine area that protects most of the Cabo Pulmo reef from any and all drilling, mining, and fishing operations.
At around 20,000 years old, the Cabo Pulmo reef is the oldest of only three coral reefs on the west coast of North America. Since the park was created, the tiny town’s residents have made it their mission to keep the seas thriving. In under a decade, the newly protected area saw an increase in total biomass — the total mass of all the living animals on the reef — of more than 400%. It’s considered one of the greatest success stories in reef conservation history.
These days, Cabo Pulmo is a thriving eco-tourism hotspot, and it’s one of the most biodiverse dive sites in Mexico. Many credit the success to the residents, who help to enforce the park regulations, clean the beaches, and protect important animals like nesting sea turtles.
Marine lovers on a Baja spring break should visit this underwater mecca, which is home to over 6,000 marine species, including the area’s famous sea lions, humpback whales, whale sharks, groupers, turtles, and even the occasional reef shark. The best diving season is from December to March, thanks to cooler temperatures and clearer seas. Even non-divers can grab a snorkel or visit the sea lions on the sand. If you’re lucky, the lounging sea lions might be the only souls in sight.