Written by Andy Hagen.

The beautiful placid waters of the Gulf of California on the west coast of Mexico a wait! The long bay is protected by the Baja peninsula causing some extremely calm and waters that are usually around 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit or 15.5-24 Celsius to form in the Gulf (Nix). This makes it a common place to find many fish, sharks, and marine mammals. Jacques Cousteau, the world famous diver and underwater explorer, called the gulf the world's aquarium because of all the different fishes in its waters. This also means that many popular game fish inhabit these waters. Marlin, sailfish and tuna feed on the abundant schools of baitfish that travel nearby (The Nature Conservancy). If fishing is not what you want to do, the gulf is home to many species of whales many of which calve in its warm waters. Humpback and Grey Whales are common winter residents of the Gulf. Many calves are born in these waters and can be easily spotted from passing boats on tour (Sanchez-Pacheco, et al 2001). Large turtles such as Leatherbacks, Greens, and Hawksbills also come here to nest. Also common are many seals and sea lions wintering on the warm beaches. These aquatic mammals also provide food for the offshore sharks that frequent the gulf as well (Gonzalez-Armas et al 2006).

All of this wildlife comes here because of the unique geography of the gulf. As a shallow sea surrounded on three sides by land currents can only come from the south. Deep trenches nearby and strong currents push nutrients up the gulf creating a nutrient rich environment for fish to feed. Vast algal blooms because of the nutrients have helped fuel the wide variety of fish. Unfortunately overfishing and habitat destruction by fishing and erosion have caused significant damage to the fisheries and the animals that rely on them. While sport fishing by tourists does not have a significant effect on the ecosystem, shrimp, tuna, and bill-fish fishing have caused severe damage to the natural balance in the gulf. These problems, while significant, are manageable and reversible. Tourists who visit the many parks along the gulf help strengthen the economy. This allows the fishermen to use more sustainable methods of fishing to maintain the natural beauty of the gulf (Nix; World Wide Fund for Nature).



Want to Learn More?

Nix R. The Gulf of California a physical, geological, and biological study. http://www.utdallas.edu/~rnix/MAT-SE_Units/gulf_cal.pdf.

Sanchez-Pacheco P. A., A. Vazquez-Hanckin, R. De Silva-Davila. 2001. Gray whales' mid-spring feeding at bahia de los angeles, Gulf of California, Mexico. Marine Mammal Science 17:186-191.

Gonzalez-Armas R., A. Klett-Traulsen, A. Hernandez-Herrera. 2006. Evidence of billfish reproduction in the southern Gulf of California, Mexico. Bulletin of Marine Science 79:705-717.

World Wide Fund for Nature. http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/wherewework/gulfofca/.

The Nature Conservancy. http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/mexico/work/art8618.html.

Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World

Freshwater Ecoregions of the World

Marine Ecoregions of the World




Photo Credit: http://www.whalesong.net/photos/whales/photos/monica%20mother&calf.jpg




This page was created from an environmental education writing project generated in the Fall 2009 Bio245 Conservation Biology class. Content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Gustavus Adolphus College.

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