Touted as Earth's “final frontier,” mankind has historically treated the ocean as a source of nearly limitless resources. Today, we know better the limits of this wilderness. Despite nearly two decades of conservation efforts, important sea turtle species are sliding towards extinction worldwide. Bahía Magdalena is one of the largest remaining and relatively intact coastal wetland/lagoon systems along the Pacific coast of the Americas, and one of the world's most important habitats for California gray whales and several species of endangered sea turtles. Extensive sea grass beds and mangrove stands, intertidal sand and mudflats, barrier islands, and large rocky shore areas make for rich biodiversity, though dependent upon a delicately balanced ecosystem.  

The Bay is an important feeding ground and nursery area for East Pacific green turtles, and olive ridley, hawksbill, and the rare loggerhead turtles are sometimes seen. The area is home to pods of bottlenose dolphins and large groups of sea lions. Over 100 species of migratory and resident birds use the Bay at various times of the year. Bahía Magdalena is one of the three most important calving areas for the entire California gray whale population, and hundreds of these animals can be found here between January and April.  

Bahía Magdalena has also played a critical role in supporting its human residents. A growing tourism industry, based on whale watching, provides income for many residents, and fishers ply the waters for commercially important species. Unfortunately, critically endangered sea turtles are caught as by-catch in some of these fishing operations.  

Most local residents are economically dependent on the Bay's marine resources, yet little research has been done on this ecosystem and sustainable resource use. Due to its high productivity and amazing biodiversity, the World Wildlife Fund has ranked Bahía Magdalena as one of the nine most important coastal habitats needing protection in all of Mexico. There is consensus among researchers and US and Mexican governments that protection of this unique ecosystem is vital, yet it remains under siege by pollution and lack of effective management.

Spring Semester - Help Save Gray Whales in Baja, Mexico!

January-April is the time when gray whales migrate to the coastal waters of Magdalena Bay in Puerto San Carlos. The SFS Center for Coastal Studies is located right on the tip of a small peninsula that extends into this very bay. Students in the past have chosen to study the effects of the whale-watching tourism industry, conservation methods of the gray whale, and water quality in relation to this baleen species.

The Eastern North Pacific (or California) gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) travels for two to three months and about 12,000 miles during its annual migration from the Arctic Ocean north of Alaska to the western coast of Mexico. The pregnant females migrate into only four known bays where they can safely calve or mate. Magdalena Bay, where SFS students spend ample time researching, is one of these. The average gestation period is 13 months, so the whales can mate in the warm waters and give birth there one year later. Calves average 15 feet at birth, can weigh up to 500 pounds, and nurse for 7-8 months on milk that is over 34% fat (human milk is a mere 2% fat)! Fully-grown, adults can be up to 45 feet long and weigh 45,000 pounds.

SFS seeks to continue to protect this mammal by furthering the conservation efforts already being made and developing new techniques. Magdalena Bay is the only one of the four known mating and calving grounds that is not currently protected. Additionally, SFS is working to educate the local community about our research results and goals and also to conduct a socioeconomic analysis of whale-watching in the bay. The relatively high number of the gray whales provides a growing business opportunity for the whale-watching industry, and it is important to understand what effects this tourism has on the whales.

Already, SFS has made many notable contributions to whale research in this area and our studies continue to be used as guidelines for conduct among whale-watching operators. SFS continuously maintains an open dialogue between its students, staff, local community, and government officials. This effort seeks to foster the sustainable development of this delicate coastal community while conserving and protecting the variety of marine life living in its waters.