Page 387 - Mexico Diving From the Caribbean to Pacific Isles

hey called the location Yenecamú. Cabo government’s development of infrastruc- Cabos to Ensenada. In the face of a growing
international public demand for corporate-
T San Lucas has become a prominent va- ture to turn Cabo San Lucas into a major driven ecological stewardship, higher-end
cation and spa destination, with a variety center for tourism in Mexico, beginning in resorts in the Los Cabos area are increas-
ingly sensitive to their environmental im-
of sites of interest and timeshares that have 1974. Upon completion of the Transpenin- pact, and are taking initial steps to institute
sustainable practices such as reducing wa-
been built on the coast between San Lu- sular Highway, also known as the Mexican ter usage and non-recyclable trash output.

cas and San José del Cabo. The distinctive Federal Highway 1, tourist developments in T he bay of Cabo San Lucas encompasses
several unique dive sites. These dive
El Arco de Cabo San Lucas is a local land- Los Cabos proceeded relatively unchecked. sites were protected in 1973 by the President
of Mexico when he declared them the sec-
mark. Despite concerns over the general ond underwater national marine park after
safety for tourists travelling to Mexico, Cabo Cozumel. Inside the park it is forbidden to
ntil fairly recently, the unique and frag- fish, spearfish or collect anything. All of the
USan Lucas remains one of the safest tour- ile environment of this part of Mexico dive sites are within a quick 10 minute boat
ride from Cabo San Lucas’ Marina and the
ist destinations in the world. In the winter, was largely unprotected by law, and there- conditions inside the bay are usually calm
with no or little currents and a calm surface.
pods of whales can be observed in the area. fore was subjected to developers acting in

They bear their calves in the warm waters concert with government agencies inter-

of the Sea of Cortez after completing their ested only in low-end tourist bonanzas.

six-thousand-mile migration from Alaska There is, however, a growing collection of

and Siberia. The beaches, surfing, and sport activists now involved in preserving many of

fish opportunities in Cabo San Lucas have Baja’s desert habitats, marine mammals, and

attracted a great number of Mexican na- stretches of coastline. A number of agencies

tives and foreigners to spend their vaca- including the Gulf of California Conservation

tions in large-scale tourist developments Fund and the Center for Environmental Law

there. The development of Cabo’s tourism in La Paz are challenging the destruction of

industry was prompted by the Mexican wetlands and other ecosystems from Los