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Divers and snorkelers will love the finger coral reefs extending offshore with water from 15 to 80 feet deep.
Heading north out of Los Cabos along Highway 1, turn right at Las Cuevas, about 40 minutes north of the airport. Go east toward La Ribera and Cabo Pulmo. The most southern of the East Cape beaches, Los Frailes and Cabo Pulmo are a 40 to 45 minute drive, part paved, part not. You’ll come to Cabo Pulmo first. In June 1995, Cabo Pulmo was declared a marine preserve by the Mexican government—it’s off limits for fishing. The underwater park is eleven miles long with eight different coral finger reefs.
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A Mexican fishing vessel, the Colima, sunk in a 1939 storm, lies in 18 feet of water offshore, with the added wreck a dive for SCUBA enthusiasts. Visibility ranges from 60 to 100 feet, and ocean temperatures range from 65 to 80 F. Hook up with Pepe Murietta, a certified dive, sailing, and kayak instructor. He’ll take you to Los Arbolitos, a palapa-studded beach where you’ll swim with needlefish, triggerfish, rainbow colored parrotfish, big-nosed jewfish, yellow and gray-striped tiger fish, spiny brown-spotted blowfish, eels, and sea turtles. Paddle a kayak out to the sea lion colony near Los Frailes.
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Cabo Pulmo and Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park
Excerpt from Los Cabos Magazine Issue #7 by Sabrina Lear - December 2000
The Sea of Cortez was created over five million years ago as a result of Baja California slowly separating from the Mexican mainland along the San Andreas Fault. The earth’s newest sea is home to over 800 species of marine vertebrates and 2,000 invertebrates—more than any other body of water on our planet. Also known as the Gulf of California, this diverse sea morphs from shallow, silty waters in the north to 12,000-foot deep submarine canyons in the southern region.
In the southernmost part of the Sea of Cortez, Cabo Pulmo is by far the best place to explore this unique ecosystem. A few hours east of the main tourist areas of Los Cabos, Cabo Pulmo is a large, calm bay fronted by a small village of the same name. It is also famous for being the location of the only coral reef system in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean. This ecologically sensitive underwater phenomenon was established as the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park in June of 1995 by the Mexican government through SEMARNAP, the Fish and Game Natural Resource Protection Department. The park is managed by The Instituto Nacional de Ecologia (National Ecological Institute) and is protected by both the Armada de México (Mexican Navy) and PROFEPA, the Mexican Environmental Protection Agency. The park also receives support through the non-profit Mexican organization Patronato Cabo del Este and the U.S.A. based non-profit National Coalition for Marine Preservation. The boundaries of the park encompass an area north of Cabo Pulmo extending almost to Punta Arena and south to and including Bahia Los Frailes, the easternmost point of the Baja California peninsula.
Cabo Pulmo, with over five miles of protected beaches, stretches from Pulmo Point on the north end of the bay to the jagged promontory of Los Frailes (The Friars) to the south. Due to the coral reef, these waters are a veritable frenzy of marine life. Composed of eight major fingers, the reef lies in shallow waters, fronting the village about a mile off shore. Cabo Pulmo is far enough east not to be affected by Pacific Ocean swells, making the reef very easy to access for neophytes and experienced adventurers alike. A safe destination for families, the reef may be explored by kayak or panga (small skiff). The myriad pools exposed at low tide offer days of endless encounters with this rich and prolific habitat of literally hundreds of species. Divers and snorkelers will be amazed at the complexity of underwater life on the reef. One small piece of coral may conceal forty species of life. Complementing all of this is the fish, bird and mammal population the Sea of Cortez is renowned for which includes turtles, manta rays and whale sharks.
The village of Cabo Pulmo, though growing, is still small, sleepy and very friendly. Blink a few times driving through and you may miss the place all together. There’s the small, not terribly well stocked, San Martin market; a few restaurants, Nancy’s and Tito’s being the most popular; the Cabo Pulmo Resort; and several diveshops. One of the first things you will hit coming into town from the north is Pepe’s Dive Center, owned by José (Pepe) and Libby Murrieta. Look for a palapa with a small sign, dive paraphernalia, a well-used hammock, and a kayak up a tree. This is a gathering place for locals and visitors alike with Libby running the day to day dive-shop operation while Pepe, a PADI and SSI instructor, doubles as the Director of the Marine Park. An energetic and dynamic presence, he leads what is often a one-man war against poaching and destructive practices within the park. Together with other committed local residents and donations from ecological societies in México and the U.S.A., he is committed to ensuring that the pristine state of Cabo Pulmo is sustained as a legacy for future generations. A fountain of information on the ecosystem of the reef and history of the Cape Region, he is quick to reinforce that all visitors to the park must observe stringent conservation rules. One of the most important is the all-out ban on overnight mooring by boats of any kind. Even the smallest spill of gas and motor oil can kill coral, bird and marine life who are already endangered by plastics, Styrofoam, fishing lines, nets and garbage carelessly tossed overboard or washed out to sea.
Due to the protective, nurturing sphere within the park, it’s important to remember not to disturb any of the many species you may encounter while visiting the area. Walking on or touching the reef in any way may cause irreparable damage to the coral beds. Sea birds are easily scared off their nests and sea lion colonies will panic if you venture too close. On shore, the desert environment may often appear barren and devoid of life. Look closely at this microcosm and you’ll find almost as much going on on land as under the water. Remember that when you tread off the beaten path, you are potentially destroying the territory of one species or another. Using driftwood or brush for fires, for example, depletes nesting material for osprey and other birds. Even small cacti, easy to trample, may be over 100 years old!
Cabo Pulmo is a natural paradise and well worth the effort of getting there. Swimming, snorkeling and kayaking may be enjoyed by all ages in a location unusual in much of the world. Peaceful and serene, it’s one of the few sanctuaries left, not only for the innumerable species present, but for man as well.
From San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, there are a number of options for spending the day in Cabo Pulmo. Renting a car and venturing out on your own offers the most freedom; or you may want to call around and investigate the guided tours available. Situated on the East Cape, Cabo Pulmo is approximately fifty miles (80 Km) from San José del Cabo on what is called the “East Cape Road.” While this scenic, dirt passage along the largely deserted and undeveloped shoreline is an adventure; it can take up to five hours to get to Cabo Pulmo using this route. It’s far easier, faster and much more comfortable to take Highway 1 to access this stretch of the Sea of Cortez.
Guided tours to Cabo Pulmo are offered by a number of different operators with varying degrees of service so it pays to do a little research before you book your trip. Donations to the Cabo Pulmo National Marine Park can be made at the park office in the village or by calling Pepe’s Dive Center for further information. |
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Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico - Last Revision - March 17, 2008 - JCH
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