El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve

Lore & Background

Native groups first inhabited this region over eleven thousand years ago. They may have been nomads who came overland from the north of the American continent, or they may have been marine-oriented groups using boats to follow the coastline. At the dawn of the historic period, their successors were the Cochimi, foragers who exploited the natural resources of the coast, the inland plains, and the Sierra de San Francisco. Travelers trekking into this mountainous region can still see the natives' cave art.

Spanish explorers arrived in the area in the 16th century. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo was the first explorer to navigate the coastlines, whereas Sebastián Vizcaíno explored inland, in what is now the biosphere reserve in 1596 on behalf of Gaspar de Zúñiga, viceroy of New Spain.

Animals that have adapted to these extreme conditions include a variety of nocturnals such as coyotes, rodents, and hares; others have adapted to only ingesting water from succulents. Outstanding among the mammals is the Baja California pronghorn (an endemic subspecies of the pronghorn); the last populations of this subspecies can be found in the region. The Vizcaíno is also the habitat of the desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, and dozens of resident and migratory birds. Of special importance: the ospreys, cormorants, herons, and gulls—and four species of sea turtles. On the coastline and islets there are many marine mammals, such as northern elephant seals, California sea lions, dolphins, and gray whales.

Reader's Guide

The El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve is significant as the largest wildlife refuge in Mexico, encompassing over 24,930 square kilometers of diverse habitats from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of California. Its creation in 1988 aimed to protect the region's unique ecosystems and species, including the endemic Baja California pronghorn, whose last populations are found here. The reserve also shelters desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, numerous birds, four sea turtle species, and marine mammals like gray whales and northern elephant seals. Historically, the area has been inhabited for over eleven thousand years, first by nomadic or marine-oriented native groups, later by the Cochimi foragers, whose cave art remains visible in the Sierra de San Francisco. Spanish exploration began in the 16th century with Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo and Sebastián Vizcaíno. The reserve's legacy lies in its role as a critical conservation area for both terrestrial and marine life, preserving a landscape that has supported human and animal populations for millennia.

Did You Know?

• The El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve is the largest wildlife refuge in Mexico.
• Native groups first inhabited the region over eleven thousand years ago.
• The Baja California pronghorn, an endemic subspecies, has its last populations in this reserve.