Hello my friends. I found this great article on the Mexican Caribbean and its endless source for ecotourism and I just had to share it with you.

(US NEWS SOURCE) January 4, 2011 - The Mexican Caribbean offers hundreds of miles of white sand beaches, stunning turquoise waters, lowlands along the coast that hide ancient Mayan cities and a limestone plateau that allows underground rivers to emerge through caverns and create distinct formations.
Few places in the world offer beauty and attractions like the Mexican Caribbean. A paradise for lovers of nature and adventure, travelers arrive every year to this multifaceted destination in the state of Quintana Roo in search of ecotourism, a popular type of vacation.

The Mexican Caribbean offers hundreds of miles of white sand beaches, stunning turquoise waters, lowlands along the coast that hide ancient Mayan cities and a limestone plateau that allows underground rivers to emerge through caverns and create distinct formations. It also has the second largest coral reef in the world, protected biosphere areas, natural aquariums, and several archaeological sites that encompass some of the world’s most amazing settings.

Among the areas of outstanding natural beauty with a wide range of eco-tourism activities, are Cancun, Riviera Maya, Cozumel, Grand Costa Maya, Puerto Morelos, Isla Mujeres and Holbox. Ecotourism forces the traveler to constantly engage and connect with nature and enjoy its offerings while keeping a respect for the balance of the environment. All of these elements join together in the Mexican Caribbean, where visitors are surrounded by lush jungle, cenotes and natural reserves. Visitors can enjoy exotic bird watching, observing endangered species in their natural habitat; swim with whale sharks, as well as enjoy the rich fauna and flora.

From Cancun to the Mayan area, there are a wide variety of eco-tourism activities that allow visitors to enjoy a one of a kind experience with nature. Among the most popular spots to visit is Isla Contoy, ideal for bird watching enthusiasts. Another option is Coba, a site that holds an impressive archaeological area immersed in a Mayan community.

Cancun is a gateway to our environmental world. It’s a beautiful, natural place with underground river systems, caves, the world’s largest cenotes (natural sink holes), magnificent waterfalls and spring-fed pools surrounded by a mystic jungle full of ancient Mayan cities. Due to its unique and strategic location in the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun offers a variety of adventure and eco-tourism activities such as snorkeling in the Great Mesoamerican Reef, swimming with majestic whale sharks and dolphins, diving along the archipelago or visiting eco-archaeological parks.

The region offers exclusive and exciting adventure tourism, such as rappelling in a cenote, as well as the fast and long zip lines in the middle of the forest, combined with expeditions to different lagoons. One of them, Laguna Bacalar, known as ‘lagoon of the seven colors’ for its seven shades of blue, is a perfect place for camping, snorkeling, enjoying the beauty of the tropical fish or simplying relaxing during leisurely stroll in a canoe surrounded by nature.

Also, there are a variety of tours that cross the lowland jungle of the Mexican Caribbean and offer a wonderful eco-tourism experience. The adventure begins aboard a jeep and continues by visiting different ranches and small Mayan communities where cenotes and underground rivers can be found. Once there, visitors can snorkel in beautiful and unique rivers. Another impressive ecotourism excursion is a trip to the Rio Secreto, an exciting caves tour between stalagmites and stalactites in a pristine underground river.

On the other hand, some eco-tours offer visitors what is known as Maya flight, a zip line experience in the jungle that also combines a Mayan ceremony in a cenote, where visitors learn how this ancient culture envisioned the world.

The Mexican Caribbean offers one of the most diverse flora and fauna in Mexico and is constantly researching new sustainable practices. The hotel industry and many service providers are also in the process of becoming certified by international environment agencies.

The Mexican Caribbean offers endless activities for ecotourism and direct contact with nature for visitors, as well as unique and memorable experiences.

About Quintana Roo

The Ministry of Tourism is a department of the Executive Power of the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo, whose main aim is to establish, direct and supervise the criteria and policies for tourism promotion and development in the state, as well as act as a liaison for the departments and entities of the Federal Government related to the tourism sector.

Thus we present on this website all the information related to tourism activity in the state that the State Government, through this department, generates to fulfill its function and objectives, which will serve as an instrument for consulting and working among the Tourism Sector in the State. For more information, visit http://www.caribemexicano.gob.mx/

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A country rich in history, tradition and culture, Mexico is made up of 31 states and one federal district. It is the third largest country in Latin America and has the largest population—more than 100 million—making it the home of more Spanish speakers than any other nation in the world.

Despite the towering reputation of Egypt’s Great Pyramids at Giza, the Americas actually contain more pyramid structures than the rest of the planet combined. Civilizations like the Olmec, Maya, Aztec and Inca all built pyramids to house their deities, as well as to bury their kings. In many of their great city-states, temple-pyramids formed the center of public life and were the site of much holy ritual, including human sacrifice. The best known Latin American pyramids include the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon at Teotihuacán in central Mexico, the Castillo at Chichén Itzá in the Yucatan, the Great Pyramid in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, the Pyramid at Cholula and the Inca’s great temple at Cuzco in Peru.

Amazing. Surely you’ve enjoyed this as much as I have!LOL

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Rodrigo Orozco shares his Guadalajara, Mexico, home with thousands of tarantulas and tens of thousands of crickets. He’s a man with a mission. “I want to end the illegal trade in Mexican tarantulas,” he says. “My goal is to produce 6000 tarantulas per year and eventually flood the black market so that tarantula poaching will no longer be a lucrative business.”

Tarantulas belong to a class of invertebrates called arachnids, which have eight legs. There are around 70,000 species of arachnids, including spiders, scorpions, daddy longlegs, ticks and mites. Tarantulas, of course, are spiders, famous for being long-lived. Their bodies are completely covered with short hairs and their leg spans can reach up to twelve inches. Brazil leads the world in the number of different species and Mexico is in second place.

Tarantulas in the Americas have a dense covering of extremely fine irritating hairs at their back end. These have tiny barbs and produce a burning itch in human skin. When angered, the tarantula can turn around and shoot these nearly invisible missiles at an enemy. However, generally speaking, they are very docile and one can pick them up without fear. Mexican tarantulas — in particular the red-legged tarantula,Brachypelma smithi — are noted for their docility. They are, of course, capable of inflicting a painful bite, since their fangs can pierce human skin, and they do have venom glands, but the bites of New World tarantulas are considered non-toxic to humans and there have never been any deaths reported as a consequence.

Tarantulas have eight eyes but can only distinguish light and dark and movement. They spend most of their lives in their burrows waiting for something tasty to pass by, but males venture forth during their last year of life in search of females with whom to mate.

Like bats, tarantulas have received bad press for longer than anyone can remember. They are, after all, big, hairy and mysterious.

Along the Pacific Coast of Mexico, they are known as “mala hierba” (bad weed) and “matacaballos” (horse killers) and there are local legends that they poison whatever they step on and hypnotize their victims by licking them before they bite.

In spite of (or perhaps because of) these myths, tarantulas have become immensely popular all over the world and many, many people want to have one as a pet. Add to this the fact that tarantulas require very little maintenance and space, and it’s easy to see why there is now a huge demand for them all over the world.

Of course, there are laws against the capture of wild tarantulas and their sale, but the huge profits in this business have encouraged widespread poaching and inhuman practices. For example, Orozco mentions the case of a trafficker who wandered about with 750 tarantulas crammed into a suitcase, looking for customers. This man eventually sold a dozen of them and all the rest died.

At present, a full-grown tarantula can fetch several hundred dollars on the black market and, because Mexican tarantulas make ideal pets, thousands are illegally shipped to Germany, the USA and other corners of the world. “People don’t realize how tricky it is for tarantulas to reproduce in the wild. The poaching that’s going on will wipe them out unless something is done.”

How did Rodrigo Orozco become interested in Mexico’s tarantulas and what inspired him to try singlehandedly to save them from extinction? Here’s his story:

“My interest in tarantulas came about purely by chance. One fine day a friend came over with a beautiful Brachypelma vagans (now I know its scientific name) and asked me to take care of it while he convinced his mother that it’s harmless. Well, six years were apparently not enough to convince her, because he never came back for his tarantula. By then, I was hooked.”

Having lived for years in Acapulco, very near the jungle, Orozco eventually discovered the harm that was being done to tarantulas as a species by people collecting them in the wild for commercial purposes.

“You have to understand,” he says, “that it takes a female tarantula eight years to reach sexual maturity, if she’s lucky enough to survive that many years. Then she has to wait for a male to come along. Under the most ideal conditions (lots of males in the area) she might lay eggs six times during the next twenty years of her life, if she’s lucky enough to stay alive that long. Now, scientists calculate that only one baby out of every egg sac is likely to survive. So, under the most perfect conditions imaginable, this tarantula might produce six babies by the end of her life span of 28 years.”

In nature, of course, decades of good luck and perfect conditions are most unlikely and it could be considered a near miracle if one female tarantula ends up with one fertile daughter 28 years after her birth.

Now put the poacher into the equation. By removing large numbers of males from a given habitat, the poacher is virtually practicing genocide against the tarantulas in that area, vastly decreasing the odds that one female might be succeeded by another.

Having discovered all of this, Orozco’s reaction was to begin raising tarantulas in captivity in order to liberate them in areas frequented by poachers. “But,” he says, “I soon discovered that my own ignorance was the tarantulas’ biggest enemy.”

Long conversations with local experts Enrique Fanti and Martha Yañez convinced Orozco that his project had two great weaknesses. “First of all,” he comments, “why liberate tarantulas in a place where poachers have eliminated them? It would be like putting chickens in front of a fox; I would be aiding and abetting the trafficker by giving him more tarantulas to sell.

Secondly — and more importantly — there was the genetic problem. What was going to happen if I liberated creatures that were physically the same as those in the bush, but genetically different? I would probably end up committing an ecocide, with my tarantulas replacing the local ones because of the Law of the Survival of the Fittest. I must confess, it was hard for me to accept this concept with confreres abroad urging me to liberate my tarantulas, fully convinced that what was needed was quantity, not quality.”

Orozco eventually came to the conclusion that the only way to bring down the black market in tarantulas was to give the traffickers real competition using creatures reared in captivity. Flooding the market with legal tarantulas for sale at the same price was the only way to protect the ones living in the wild. “I had my plan, but who would help me to carry it out? I was not a biologist, after all, and many doors were slammed in my face.”

In Mexico, there exists a system by which an organization or an individual can register an animal-related project as an UMA or Unidad de Manejo para la Conservación y Aprovechamiento de la Vida Silvestre (Environmental Management Unit). In order to be certified, an UMA must conform to the norms of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, to which Mexico subscribed in 1976. Unfortunately, certification does not imply financial assistance of any kind.

“I had been looking in vain for support for the UMA I had in mind,” says Orozco, “but my friend Enrique Fanti, a stubborn conservationist, kept insisting, ‘Do it on your own — Go for it!’ So I did, and to my surprise, I experienced nothing but kindness and help from the government agencies I had to deal with.

“That’s the story of how Tarantulas de México came into being in the year 2003, when my idea was accepted and turned into an UMA for the reproduction of tarantulas.

“The government people told me my idea was very innovative and that only once before had there been an attempt to reproduce tarantulas on a large scale. This took place in Michoacán when various individuals brought their tarantulas to the same piece of property, figuring that by doing so, they would soon have thousands of tarantulas. To their great surprise, however, they ended up with only a handful — and all of them remarkably fat! Unfortunately they had been given extremely bad advice on this project by people who apparently knew nothing about the behavior and cycles of these creatures.

“My project is coming along nicely and I now have more than 5,000 little mouths to feed. ‘What do they eat?’ you may ask. Well, along with reproducing tarantulas, I now also raise crickets! By trial and error and with a few tips from my friend Fanti, as well as a considerable investment on my part, I have finally managed to stabilize my cricket production and no longer have to buy crickets to feed my tarantulas. I now produce 10,000 crickets per week, just what I need to be self-sufficient.

“I frequently give talks in schools, universities, neighborhood organizations, expos, etc. demystifying what people believe about spiders and I think these presentations have had a big impact. I sincerely hope this new awareness will prevail and respect for these creatures will become something natural and basic in people’s outlook.

“When somebody is about to step on a bug and asks me whether it’s good or bad to do so, I only reply, “If you know how to make a new one, go ahead and kill it.”

Rodrigo Orozco has a website, Tarántulas de México, [http://www.tarantulasdemexico.com/] In both Spanish and English, where you can learn more about tarantulas and about his project in Mexico. You can help fight the poachers by clicking on “store.”

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(US NEWS SOURCE) January 4, 2011 - The Mexican Caribbean offers hundreds of miles of white sand beaches, stunning turquoise waters, lowlands along the coast that hide ancient Mayan cities and a limestone plateau that allows underground rivers to emerge through caverns and create distinct formations.
Few places in the world offer beauty and attractions like the Mexican Caribbean. A paradise for lovers of nature and adventure, travelers arrive every year to this multifaceted destination in the state of Quintana Roo in search of ecotourism, a popular type of vacation.

The Mexican Caribbean offers hundreds of miles of white sand beaches, stunning turquoise waters, lowlands along the coast that hide ancient Mayan cities and a limestone plateau that allows underground rivers to emerge through caverns and create distinct formations. It also has the second largest coral reef in the world, protected biosphere areas, natural aquariums, and several archaeological sites that encompass some of the world’s most amazing settings.

Among the areas of outstanding natural beauty with a wide range of eco-tourism activities, are Cancun, Riviera Maya, Cozumel, Grand Costa Maya, Puerto Morelos, Isla Mujeres and Holbox. Ecotourism forces the traveler to constantly engage and connect with nature and enjoy its offerings while keeping a respect for the balance of the environment. All of these elements join together in the Mexican Caribbean, where visitors are surrounded by lush jungle, cenotes and natural reserves. Visitors can enjoy exotic bird watching, observing endangered species in their natural habitat; swim with whale sharks, as well as enjoy the rich fauna and flora.

From Cancun to the Mayan area, there are a wide variety of eco-tourism activities that allow visitors to enjoy a one of a kind experience with nature. Among the most popular spots to visit is Isla Contoy, ideal for bird watching enthusiasts. Another option is Coba, a site that holds an impressive archaeological area immersed in a Mayan community.

Cancun is a gateway to our environmental world. It’s a beautiful, natural place with underground river systems, caves, the world’s largest cenotes (natural sink holes), magnificent waterfalls and spring-fed pools surrounded by a mystic jungle full of ancient Mayan cities. Due to its unique and strategic location in the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun offers a variety of adventure and eco-tourism activities such as snorkeling in the Great Mesoamerican Reef, swimming with majestic whale sharks and dolphins, diving along the archipelago or visiting eco-archaeological parks.

The region offers exclusive and exciting adventure tourism, such as rappelling in a cenote, as well as the fast and long zip lines in the middle of the forest, combined with expeditions to different lagoons. One of them, Laguna Bacalar, known as ‘lagoon of the seven colors’ for its seven shades of blue, is a perfect place for camping, snorkeling, enjoying the beauty of the tropical fish or simplying relaxing during leisurely stroll in a canoe surrounded by nature.

Also, there are a variety of tours that cross the lowland jungle of the Mexican Caribbean and offer a wonderful eco-tourism experience. The adventure begins aboard a jeep and continues by visiting different ranches and small Mayan communities where cenotes and underground rivers can be found. Once there, visitors can snorkel in beautiful and unique rivers. Another impressive ecotourism excursion is a trip to the Rio Secreto, an exciting caves tour between stalagmites and stalactites in a pristine underground river.

On the other hand, some eco-tours offer visitors what is known as Maya flight, a zip line experience in the jungle that also combines a Mayan ceremony in a cenote, where visitors learn how this ancient culture envisioned the world.

The Mexican Caribbean offers one of the most diverse flora and fauna in Mexico and is constantly researching new sustainable practices. The hotel industry and many service providers are also in the process of becoming certified by international environment agencies.

The Mexican Caribbean offers endless activities for ecotourism and direct contact with nature for visitors, as well as unique and memorable experiences.

About Quintana Roo

The Ministry of Tourism is a department of the Executive Power of the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo, whose main aim is to establish, direct and supervise the criteria and policies for tourism promotion and development in the state, as well as act as a liaison for the departments and entities of the Federal Government related to the tourism sector.

Thus we present on this website all the information related to tourism activity in the state that the State Government, through this department, generates to fulfill its function and objectives, which will serve as an instrument for consulting and working among the Tourism Sector in the State. For more information, visit http://www.caribemexicano.gob.mx/

Follow us on Twitter @mexcaribbean or “LIKE” us on Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mexcaribbean

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Have you been thinking about getting married in Mexico? Many couples see Mexico as a wonderful and exciting place to get married and it’s both affordable and convenient. Wedding planners can take almost all of the hassle out of the process and make life easier for the bride and groom. Be sure to check our resources first to help you in your plans, in our Getting Married in Mexico section. Mexonline.com.

Getting married in Mexico has become an extremely popular option for people from all over the world, who often combine their wedding ceremony with their honeymoon vacation. Below, you’ll find a general list of information on what needs to be done to be able to get married in Mexico. Please remember that this information is general, and can vary from state to state. Please check with the proper authorities, or you may choose a wedding coordinator (both are listed below).

Civil ceremonies are the only ones recognized in Mexico. A religious ceremony can be had, but it isn’t considered official.

You must have tourist cards and/or a visa plus passports. No Mexican residential requirements are applicable. Marriages are performed at the “Oficina del Registro Civil” (Civil Registers Office) for a fee ( ranging from $100 to $250 in resort areas). Every city and small town has an office. Most people in this office do not speak English. This is where a wedding coordinator comes in handy if you don’t speak Spanish. The marriage ceremony can be performed elsewhere, but please check with the office for information and extra fees.

If you are ivorced people cannot marry in Mexico until one year after their finalized divorce (this may vary in different areas and proof of divorce may be enough). Minors under 18 can not marry without written & notarized permission from a parent or legal guardian. Some states may require a waiting period of a few days.

You’ll need to present the following;

• A current passport with tourist card or visa (make copies of each)
• Certified copies of your birth certificate
• An application stating whether that you wish to marry (available at the Civil Registers Office)
• If divorced in Mexico, a certificated decree from the Mexican Consular Office
• A blood test done in Mexico (the CRO will recommend a doctor/clinic) – There is a fee (as high as $60 in some resorts)
• Two legally qualified witnesses (over 18) who must be present for each person

You’ll receive your copy of the marriage certificate at the CRO. Make sure you get certified copies now, so you don’t have to go through the trouble at a later date.

NOTE: Foreigners wishing to marry Mexican citizens must obtain authorization from the National Institute of Migration (Instituto Nacional de Migracion). This will take a bit longer and there will be more paper work to process.

Resources: Mexonline.com

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The Association for the Protection of the Environment and the Marine Turtle in Southern Baja (ASUPMATOMA)is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of the endangered sea turtles of Baja California Sur, Mexico, and the overall environmental sustainability of Los Cabos’ beautiful beaches, lands and surrounding communities.
ASUPMATOMA was founded more than 18 years ago by René Pinal, a prominent real estate investor and conservationist in Cabo San Lucas, along with a team of biologists and local residents to address the pressing environmental issues facing Los Cabos.  In particular, the organization is a leading worldwide advocate of the preservation of the endangered sea turtles, which are now at risk of destruction in the Sea of Cortez region due to rapid land development, pollution, and illegal hunting and fishing practices.

For nearly two decades, at Pinal’s Rancho Punta San Cristobal estate, a three-and-a-half-mile stretch of environmentally protected beaches and lands (located along the Pacific Coast of Baja approx. 15 minutes north of Cabo San Lucas), ASUPMATOMA has saved tens of thousands of sea turtles in the wild and hundreds of thousands of baby sea turtle hatchlings along the beaches of Los Cabos.  In addition, Pinal’s natural lands protect more than 17 other species in the area, some which are also endangered.  Learn more about ASUPMATOMA and how you too can make a difference in the environment!

Did you Know?

	The Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest, deepest diving, and most migratory, wide ranging of all sea turtles, weighing as much as 2,000 pounds.
	Sea turtles are the last of our world’s ancient reptiles, and have existed for more than 200 million years, even when dinosaurs still roamed the earth.
	Five out of seven of the world’s sea turtle species (all listed as endangered, threatened or vulnerable by international treaty and the U.S. government) inhabit the nutrient-rich waters that surround the Baja California peninsula.
	Each year, throughout the Baja California Peninsula, it is estimated that 35,000 sea turtles are illegally hunted and killed.
	While several million green sea turtles once existed worldwide, today, it is estimated that fewer than 200,000 nesting females remain.  I hope you’ve enjoyed thins information on Marine Turtle in Southern Baja (ASUPMATOMA). Resource: Mexonline.com

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Dale Hoyt Palfrey

Set on the shore of Lake Chapala, the town of Ajijic has become a center of art and culture. The Noches de Ajijic International Festival of Gastronomy and Music highlights some of the region’s best.

Seven host restaurants offer special menus prepared for the occasion by outstanding guest chefs. Other festival activities will draw residents and visitors to a full array of artistic expressions.

Free activities scheduled every day on the Ajijic Malecón along with gallery walks through the village, live entertainment including two big concerts at the waterfront and a spectacular grand finale wrapped around the theme of ancient Mexico scheduled in Chapala.

Published or Updated on: June 5, 2009 by Dayl Hoyt Palfrey © 2009
Contact Dale Hoyt Palfrey

Re-Published or Updated on January 17,2011 by Aetna JB

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Happy New Year / Felizidad en Año Nuevo

ABBA

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Merry Christmas to all.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas.

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This is such a touching account of an encounter of Mary Harter together with friends and the rescuing of  whales in Mexicos southern Baja.

It was an unusually gray overcast day for southern Baja in mid April. We were relishing the respite from the often relentless sun and enjoying morning coffee at camp on San Francisquito Island north of La Paz. We were a group of 12 friends and 5 Mexican crew on a 9 day island hopping expedition complete with skiffs and kayaks from La Paz to Loreto.

Some of our party decided to take advantage of the overcast skies and go for a hike up the spectacular ridgeline above camp. A well worn path leads up the north east ridge of the island. From the ridgeline you get a spectacular view of the surrounding Sea of Cortez and islands of Espiritu Santo to the south and San Jose to the north.

While most of us were enjoying morning coffee at camp the hiking party returned from the ridge in a hurry with news of a baby whale they spotted near shore entangled in fishing nets. Everyone at camp immediately set into motion with plans to help rescue the whale. We grabbed ropes and knives and of course cameras and 6 of us jumped into a skiff (otherwise known as a panga in Baja) and headed in the direction of where the entangled whale was last spotted. Meanwhile the hiking group returned to the ridgeline to direct us to the spot with their birds eye view. As we motored around the northeast corner of the island we noticed a couple of whales sounding off in the distance, tails raised high as they dove. They were humpbacks.

We were directed by our folks on the ridge to travel closer to shore and further south and soon we were getting close to the vicinity of where the distressed whale had last been sighted. Suddenly there it was, a humpback calf only about 20 feet in length (mature humpbacks reach 50 feet) with brightly colored fishing net wrapped tightly over most of its head and upper body. The small whale was about 50 yards off shore in about 40 feet of water. Two of our Mexican crew, Carlos Gajon and Manuel Higuera, dove into the water with snorkel gear and knives in hand attempting to swim along side the whale and try to cut the netting off. They were able to snorkel directly above the whale and helplessly watch as it continually dove and tried scrapping the net off on rocks on the sea floor. The poor whale was covered in scraps and cuts, some bleeding, from its fruitless efforts.

Carlos and Manuel’s efforts to free dive 40 feet and try cutting the net off were in vain. We finally realized we would need to get the whale into more shallow water in order to effectively work on removing the net from the whale while working on the surface of the water. Manuel dove down and successfully tied a line from our panga to the net entangling the whale. We used the skiff to start pulling the whale toward shallower water. At first the small exhausted whale resisted but almost immediately it relented and gave in to our efforts to assist it. We succeeded in getting it into shallow waters and several more of us abandoned our dry, warm seats in the panga to jump into the cool, gray waters and begin cutting the net. We were now in about 10 feet of water and the small whale remained docile and calm along side our panga at the surface of the sea. Ever since our initial tug from the panga pulling the whale toward shore this highly intelligent animal totally relented to our efforts in freeing it from its bondage. Several of our party adorned with masks and snorkels noticed its eyes wide open staring at them under water. One of our members even noticed this 20 foot probably 15 ton animal close its eye and nudge toward him as he started cutting the net off. Once the knives started slashing the net was off and in our panga within 5 minutes. The whale hovered near our panga as we all cheered and stroked it. Then smoothly and deliberately the whale slowly swam off toward deeper waters. We all cheered again.

Due to the fact I was 6 ½ months pregnant at the time, I opted not to jump in the water and cut netting off this unfortunate little whale. It took all my will power to refrain from joining my friends in the water as it’s always been a dream of mine to look a whale in the eye from underwater. Instead I took on the role of photographing the event. As a biologist and naturalist on whale watching trips for 20 years I know young humpbacks aren’t weaned until about 8 months. From the size of this whale calf I imagine it was only about 2 months of age if that. Therefore without its mother’s milk supply we didn’t have much hope for its survival.

We truly hoped that one of the two humpbacks we saw in the distance when first rounding the island was its mother and that she would soon find her calf net free. Of course we have no way of knowing what happened to the little whale but we felt good in knowing we at least prevented it from suffering any further distress caused by the net.

Several weeks later one of our guides, Carlos, who had participated in the rescue, was guiding another trip and our group was camping on the island of San Francisquito. There they saw the little humpback, alone, swimming among the numerous yachts anchored in the bay known for its safe harbor on the southern end of the island. Several people were snorkeling with the young whale and our group joined in. Both groups of people from trips in April of 2002 now have lasting memories of frolicking with a young humpback whale in the Sea of Cortez.

It’s difficult not to anthropomorphize when observing such an event. In my professional education I’ve been taught as a biologist to never try and convey human feelings upon an animal. But what other options do we have when trying to explain the emotions of an animal we share many similarities with? This young whale, exhausted as it was, still could have dragged our panga down and under had it been inclined. It knew we had good intentions and let us help it. Whether we made any difference for the population of whale kind doesn’t really matter. All we know is we feel better to have done something rather than nothing and we know in our hearts our little whale friend felt relieved of its entrapment upon release from the netting entangling its body.

I really hope that you’ve enjoyed and envisioned this awesome adventure in Mexicos Baja Whale Rescue. Until next time, enjoy!

Re-Published or Posted by Aetna J B on August 28, 2010

Editor’s Note: Mary Harter (mary@kayakbaja.com) is the owner of Mar y Aventuras(http://www.mexonline.com/kayakbaja.htm), a kayak and whale watching company in southern Baja. They provide other tours as well. She is an expert on the local area and all it has to offer.

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