Marine Conservation efforts in La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

I was thoroughly impressed with the subtle, yet effective marine conservation efforts in La Paz.

The tour guide Katrin has spent the last 5 years in La Paz. A wealth of knowledge of the place and the ability to translate nuances for the naive tourists. She was well versed in all the regulations and policies. Especially impressed when the typical Karen was asking why can’t we touch the animals. Karen was also upset that there were no whale sharks even though the “website” said it was the best month to see them. Katrin handled it so well and explained the climate change effects and the intricacies of the life cycle and food chain. Basically, if it’s too hot…there’s no plankton. If there’s no plankton, the whale sharks aren’t here to feed.

October busy season for La Paz. Whale sharks, oceanic manta rays, cow nose rays, and sea lions are normally the ones  in the area during this time.

Snorkeling with whale sharks offically starts in October as per government regulations. However, due to climate changes and warmer water temperatures, plankton are not as adundant right now. Even in mid November, there aren’t  enough animals for dive tours to access the area where the whale sharks congregate.

Per government regulations:

- only 14 boats per day in the area

- only snorkeling is allowed

- only 2 snorkelers allowed in the water per boat

- must be 10 or more whale sharks in the area before boat permits are allocated

I am thoroughly impress with the detailed and strict conservation regualtions in La Paz.

Due to time constraints, lack of planning, and busy diving season, I stopped at a random dive shop on the main street in La Paz. Unfortunately, it was owned by a British guy. Because of this, I will not list the dive shop here.

It’s imperative to do research and find locally owned businesses to invest your money back into the local residential community. In this case I should have found a Mexican owned and operated dive shop.