The
waters of the Baja CaliforniaCoast provide shelter for
many different species. The fin whale, the humpback whale, the sei whale and the blue whale journey to the Gulf of California every year to reproduce. Out of the 45
marine mammals that coexist in Mexican waters, 38 permanently reside in the El
Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve. The gray whale performs one of the longest
migrations known, with its southern point in this area. The mammal travels more
than 5,000 miles
from the Baja CaliforniaPeninsula to the Arctic Circle
and feeds in the Chukchi and Bering seas. The whales return annually to the
lagoons of San Ignacio and Ojo de Liebre
to mate and bear offspring. As a result of protective measures, approximately
900 calves are now born each year in Mexican waters in the protection of El
Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve. Under these conditions, the gray whale population
has grown back to more than 27,000.
