Introduction
“Biodiverse Baja” isn’t a contradiction in terms, just a guarded secret of “the forgotten peninsula.” Baja travel offers one of Mexico’s most fascinating environmental destinations matched with extraordinary wildlife encounters. Two-thirds of Baja’s total population is clustered in Tijuana and Mexicali, leaving the majority of the peninsula wild. Its two westward-sloping mountain ranges peak over 10,000 feet above sea level, descending to sheltered mangrove thickets and coves of basking sea lions.

Take a Baja vacation and snorkel the warm waters of the Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortés) among sergeant majors, bonitos, angelfish, azure parrotfish, moorish idols, and barracuda. Enjoy white-sand beaches, sun-blasted rock formations, several different species of whales, playful porpoises, and manta rays gliding below the water’s translucent surface. Watch magnificent frigate birds and blue-footed boobies. Kick back and absorb the local pace of life in one of the numerous fishing villages that dot the more than 2,000 miles of coastline.

Baja travel via small ship cruises gives you the opportunity to view wildlife, vast deserts, massive cliffs, and the abundant gathering grounds of whales, all while enjoying the comforts of a 10- to 200-passenger cruise ship. On excursions inland, examine cave paintings and marvel at enormous cacti. Learn some Spanish, view nature at her most amazing, and dine on the freshest seafood. Fill each day with discovery on a Baja California cruise.
(Top)

Natural History
Each winter, gray whales migrate from Alaska’s cold-water coast to the warm bays and lagoons of Baja California to breed, give birth, and nurture their young. Their migration is the longest of any mammal: they swim night and day and travel over five thousand miles to reach their breeding grounds. Among the many mysteries of the gray whale, one of the most mind-boggling to biologists is the fast that the whales endure. During the six- to eight-month migration, as far as scientists can tell, the whales don’t eat. Once in the warm waters of the Sea of Cortés, the whales eat, breed, and appear to be content and curious. On occasion, gray whales gently swim up to Zodiac landing craft as if intrigued by the boats’ presence. Visitors in the Zodiacs may find themselves within tollbooth-change-tossing distance of these forty-foot-long, forty-ton animals. The whales themselves initiate such encounters. Then they submerge and swim away. It’s impossible not to be awestruck by such an experience.

The Sea of Cortés swirls in the large cleft that separates Baja California from the Mexican mainland. The powerful currents of the shifting tides circulate the water’s rich nutrients to the surface and support an amazing variety of sea life. Beyond the gray whales, twelve other species of whales have been spotted in the Sea of Cortés, including finback, Bryde’s and blue. The blue whale, the largest animal on Earth, exceeds 100 feet in length and weighs over 150 tons.

Also exciting to watch are the giant loggerhead and olive ridley turtles patrolling the waters outside of Magdalena Bay and the several species of dolphins swimming and diving in graceful arcs throughout the gulf’s waters. Don a mask and snorkel for a swim in the undersea realm of sergeant majors, whitefish, bonito, sea bass, rockfish, rock cod, king angelfish, moorish idols, azure parrotfish, halibut, and manta rays.

The more than fifty uninhabited islands support beautiful and interesting desert vegetation, including arrays of giant cacti. You may find some of them in flower. Keep an eye out for the stately, tall, and lean cordones and for the gnarly ciros, which grow to heights of 30 feet. The bird life includes magnificent frigate birds—some of them with inflated scarlet chest pouches— plus iridescent hummingbirds, boobies, woodpeckers, and much more.

Zodiac excursions from your vessel give you the opportunity to stroll along the edges of uninhabited islands, seek out little-known desert flowers, search for fossils and marine skeletons embedded in beach-side rocks, swim with sea lions, and take in extraordinary mountain panoramas, all in one top-quality cruising experience.

For more information on the natural history of Baja California, see book selections below.
(Top)

History
The first Europeans to sail into the Gulf of California were members of one of Hernando Cortés’s expeditions, in 1533. After descriptions of the land’s mystical beauty reached his ears, Cortés himself decided to have a look. He stepped onto the peninsula’s desertscape and tried to settle the town of La Paz in 1534, only to find that the mangrove islands and species-rich waters supplied the near-barren landscape with little food or water. Indian uprisings upset several early Spanish attempts to settle the peninsula.

The region south of La Paz receives more rain: about 5 inches on the coast and more than 25 inches in the mountains. The Indians, however, protected these more fertile lands until the Jesuit missionaries arrived at Loreto in 1697 and, through bold determination, erected one after another permanent mission.

Until the mid-1700s, these Jesuit missionaries brought the ways of Catholic Church to the peninsula’s 70,000 “savages.” They worked one settlement at a time to clothe, congregate, and catechize the indigenous nomads. The Jesuits taught animal husbandry and agriculture. Gradually they moved further and further into rugged and remote areas. The Jesuits turned over the missions to the Franciscans in 1768. Five years later the Dominicans took over. By this time, diseases unintentionally introduced by the missionaries and by ships along the coast had nearly wiped out all but a few small bands of Indians in the south. The Dominicans traveled north to the still-unconverted Indian populations there, further spreading disease and sickness.

Baja gained its independence from Spain in 1822, but the event went largely unnoticed. The lack of transportation and communication infrastructure left the narrow strip of land dangling off of mainland California fairly isolated. Gradually, the missions faded away, as did the Indian populations. A new group of people surfaced, the mestizo cattlemen and farmers. They worked the hills and valleys of the semi-arid, northern part of the peninsula. At the end of the Mexican-American War (1846–1848), the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo declared California proper part of the United States of America and Lower (Baja) California part of Mexico.

Infrastructure, however, did not really improve until the 1960s, when Mexico began to construct and improve paved highways. The growth and development of highway linkages continued well into the 1970s and included the completion of the thousand-mile ribbon of asphalt that stretches the length of the peninsula from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas. The roads reduced Baja’s isolation. Agriculture and mining operations increased in size and development. Nonetheless, the relative inaccessibility continues to keep prices higher in Baja than in other parts of Mexico, though still much lower than in the United States. In the ‘70s and ‘80s many foreign companies set up shop along the Mexican side of the Baja border. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), in the ‘90s, spurred further foreign relocation in Mexicali and Tijuana.

Modern-day Baja embraces tourism to keep its economy alive. For surfers and sea kayakers, dirt-bike racers and whale watchers, the peninsula offers a smorgasbord of opportunities from budget to elegant. Iridescent hummingbirds, loggerhead turtles, gray whales, and woodpeckers are now as important to Baja as fishing and mining. Small expedition cruise ships visit otherwise-inaccessible islands in the Gulf of California and, often with local guides aboard, show visitors the many marvels of this unusual spit of land and sea.

For more information on the history of Baja California, see book selections below.
(Top)

Culture
Nine or ten thousand years ago, several waves of peoples settled here from what is now the southwestern United States. At the time, huge Pleistocene mammals rambled across North America and the peninsular climate was humid and warm. The first migrants followed great herds of mastodon, mammoth, and perhaps families of saber-tooth cats. Linguistically these people shared the same roots, the Yumana language group. For thousands of years, these nomads lived by hunting, gathering, and fishing along the peninsula. Between the mountains and the desert, they covered great distances gathering acorns, seeds, prickly pears (Indian figs), pine nuts, century plants, small apples, and cotton fruits. Over time these people split into distinct groups: the Kumiai, Pai Pai, Kiliwa, and the Cochimi.

When the Spanish arrived on the peninsula, there were about 70,000 indigenous people. By the eighteenth century, disease epidemics brought unknowingly by Spanish missionaries had decimated most of them. Some Indians still inhabit the peninsula, but without formal tribal organization. Many work in agriculture, tourism, or fishing.

The Cochimi, for example, now live in the Huerta community near Ojos Negros and in San Antonio Necua de los Encinos, where they grow subsistence beans, corn, and citrus fruits. They also raise some cattle. The Cucapa, great agriculturists for more than 1,000 years, were forced from the land by the end of the 1890s and turned to woodcutting and fishing. The Kiliwa, coerced onto reservations in the San Isidro desert and the Cañon Arroyo de Leon near the Valle de la Trinidad, found themselves on inhospitable land. The hostile environment made farming almost impossible without expensive irrigation equipment. Many of the Kiliwa now join mestizo ranch hands and work as cowboys on the neighboring ranches of the Valle de la Trinidad. The Kumiai live on reservations around the Guadalupe Valley, where they harvest seasonal wheat and honey as well as other crops and products to be sold at markets in Tijuana.

Miles of uninhabited coastline punctuated with coves, sandy beaches, and volcanic arches have drawn many marine biologists to the area. Several community-based conservation projects exist throughout the peninsula, most notably in an effort to conserve the marine turtles around Magdalena Bay. Fishermen, students, teachers, scientists, and boatmen all collaborate on projects to identify, tag, and monitor giant sea turtles. The fun-loving subcultures of surfers and sea kayakers add to the local flavor. Dreamers of paradise paddle around Espíritu Santo Island as well as other protected beaches and dramatic volcanic cliffs. Many locals run kayak clinics to teach people the fine points before taking them out on guided tours or setting them free to explore on their own. With its uncluttered horizon, Baja caters to hearty individuals who like the desert and the sea.

For more information on the culture of Baja California, see book selections below.
(Top)

Dos and Don'ts
Baja Travel Tips:

Travel safely. Trust the expertise of guides, and follow their directions. Let them show you the desert wonders of the Baja California peninsula: beaches, endemic plants, hidden tide pools, and the small coves etched deep into the shorelines of the desert’s rocky fringes.

Don’t underestimate the forces of nature. Bring a hat, plenty of sun block, and lightweight clothes to protect you from the harsh sun and dry winds. Carry plenty of water. Swim early in the morning and take a siesta during the midday heat.

Spend time alone and listen to the quiet. Take in the stillness.

Bring binoculars to watch wildlife.

Don’t feed or handle any wild animals.

Before you go, bone up on the stories and history of the regions you plan to visit. Take note; quiet fishing villages are local communities. Listen to the fishermen, divers, artisans, boat captains, ceviche connoisseurs, guides, and business owners as they reveal the beauty and the rough-and-tumble splendor of the land.

Relax, respect, observe, and reflect. Take pictures. Experience Baja slowly—stroll the white sand beaches, contemplate the cave paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco Mountains, commune with whales, marvel magnificent frigate birds—until the brightness of the landscape and its people emerges into clear view.
(Top)

Weather
There are three climatic zones in Baja California. The Pacific side of the peninsula averages 60° to 75°F. Inland temperatures tend to be higher and it is more arid. In summer temperatures can reach 110°F. The eastern side of Baja, including the Sea of Cortez, is generally warm year-round with average temperatures between 70° to 80°F.
(Top)

Best Time to Go
January – March
(Top)

Temperature Range
65° – 85ºF
(Top)

Books
Baja California Plant Field Guide, by Norman C. Roberts
Field Guide
The best plant field guide to the deserts of Baja California.

The Forgotten Peninsula: A Naturalist in Baja California, by Joseph Wood Krutch
Natural History
A portrait of the plants, landscapes, and fascinating history of Baja California. It’s a classic.

Desert Solitaire, by Edward Abbey
Natural History
A hilarious and influential book exploring the value of the desert.

Mexico’s Copper Canyon, by Richard D. Fisher
Guide Book
Richard Fisher has compiled a stunning selection of color photographs on the Copper Canyon rail journey for this slim, oversize paperback. Includes descriptions of the natural features, history, and a few legends.

Lonely Planet Baja California, by Wayne Bernhardson and Scott Wayne
Field Guide
An excellent guide to the peninsula. Geared toward independent travelers.

Lonely Planet Diving and Snorkeling Guide to Baja California, by Walt Peterson
Guide Book
A practical and illustrated guide to popular diving and snorkeling sites of the Sea of Cortez.

Gray Whales: Wandering Giants, by Robert H. Busch
Natural History
A well-researched natural history of the gray whale with 80 color photographs.

A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, by Robert Stebbins
Field Guide
The field guide to have, with a special section on Baja’s endemic species.

Eyewitness Handbooks: Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises, by Mark Carwardine
Field Guide
A colorfully illustrated field guide to all the world’s cetaceans.

Cruising Guide to the Sea of Cortez, by Simon Scott and Nancy Scott
Guide Book
Clear descriptions of the islands of the Sea of Cortez with photos and maps.

The Nature Photographer’s Complete Guide to Professional Field Techniques, by John Shaw
Photography
Solid advice on photography techniques and taking better pictures of wildlife.

Reef Fishes of the Sea of Cortez, by Lloyd Findley and Alex Kersitch
Field Guide
A superb field guide to the fishes of the Sea of Cortez.

Sea of Cortez Marine Animals, by Daniel W. Gotshall
Field Guide
A guide to fish and marine invertebrates of Baja California for snorkelers.

Seabirds: An Identification Guide, by Peter Harrison
Field Guide
Detailed descriptions of all the world’s seabirds: essential, definitive, and authoritative.

Sierra Club Naturalist’s Guide to the Deserts of the Southwest, by by Peggy Larson
Field Guide
A comprehensive introduction to the ecology of North American deserts.

(Top)