Cabo Pulmo – The Underwater Paradise

Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park is a small marine protected area that represents one of the most impressive successes in ocean conservation. Estimated to be 20,000 years old, Cabo Pulmo is one of the oldest reefs in the world and with its variety of the species it represents one of the most beautiful natural aquariums in the world.

This treasure of Baja California Sur had been unprotected for many years from the overfishing and as a consequence of that the color fish aquarium that we know today had disappeared. In the early 1990’s, the group was formed by the 120 people who lived here as permanent residents and started the initiative to take all the measures in order to save the reef and restore the old look. After 20 years of hard work, Cabo Pulmo has been totally transformed and today it has become one of the best snorkeling places in the world. In 2005 Cabo Pulmo National Park has been recognized by UNESCO World Heritage Site and since then it’s under its protection.

Nowadays, people can see here all kinds of living creatures, starting from small herbivores and mid-sized carnivores to top predators. Predatory sharks, massive rays, humpback whales, sea turtles, dolphins, and sea lions are living on this address and they are the most interesting creatures for the most of the people that come to dive into the deep of the ocean in order to get familiarized with the underwater world.

Restoring the park and putting it under protection didn’t have only benefits for the world under the sea. Also, it had a positive impact on Mexican tourism. The economy of this place has been transformed from a simple fishing-based economy to eco-tourism. Only in 2006, the first year since Cabo Pulmo has been put under UNESCO protection, the tourism brought $538,000 USD, generating the jobs with the salaries that were more than two times higher than the average salary in Mexico.

Snorkeling is, without doubt, the most popular activity here and it can also be performed together with the instructors that provide the equipment and the instructions of diving at reasonable prices. The other activity very popular here is surfing. The waves in this part of the East Cape of Baja are the most suitable for the surfers and it’s not unusual to see the visitor coming for that reason. Also, there is a possibility of renting the surfboard in some places, also at very affordable prices. Finally, the activities such are kayaking, paddleboarding, or simply enjoying in swimming in the Sea of Cortez or sunning on the white sandy beach.