Getting to Cabo Pulmo was an adventure, to say the least. Marla and I set off on our own, navigating through Baja California Sur in a compact, bright red Toyota Prius we had rented. We got lost more than once, with our phone service cutting out at the most inconvenient times while we were on dirt roads in the middle of nowhere. But this destination had long been at the top of our list on the expedition trail. It was reputed to offer some of the best scuba diving in all of Mexico, thanks to the incredible community-based conservation efforts here.
To some, Cabo Pulmo is the crown jewel of Baja. To others, it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened. Opinions vary depending on who you talk to, where they are from, and what they do for a living. In our modern world, what some people love, others hate. And Cabo Pulmo is no exception. We aimed to hear both sides of the story to understand the total picture—the complete story that we were seeking to understand.
To us, looking in from the outside, Cabo Pulmo seemed like a safe haven—a designated success story, a thriving marine ecosystem that had recovered from near-total depletion. But once we scratched the surface upon our arrival, we discovered that the story of Cabo Pulmo is far more complex. Where there was a great idea, there was also a lack of long-term vision, and a handful of challenges that have plagued Cabo Pulmo for decades.
Cabo Pulmo is a national park that consists of only 1% land protection, with the remaining 99% dedicated to preserving the sea. It was considered revolutionary at the time, especially in the southern region of Baja. Cabo Pulmo's reef system supports a unique blend of tropical and temperate species, including five of the world's seven endangered species of sea turtles. The park's conservation efforts have also led to a dramatic resurgence in predatory fish populations, such as groupers and snappers, which are indicators of a healthy marine ecosystem.
According to the Marine Conservation Institute, Cabo Pulmo's success has made it a global model for marine conservation, showcasing how community-led initiatives and stringent protections can lead to significant ecological recovery. The park’s no-take zones, enforced by local communities, have played a critical role in reviving the reef, making it one of the most robust examples of marine protected area success worldwide.
It felt like stepping back in time to a place untouched by humans, both on land and sea. Finding the beach access points was a challenge, as the dirt roads blended into sandy paths. But once we got our bearings, we observed this empty stretch of coastline by car and on foot. Everything about Cabo Pulmo seemed primitive, and that’s what made it so perfect. The reef, once on the brink of collapse, has bounced back in spectacular fashion. Every dive we did was proof of that. Sharks, nearly wiped out by the early '90s, started to reappear around 2005. By 2010, studies revealed a variety of shark species that hadn’t been seen in decades, including Galapagos and blacktip sharks. One of the most striking elements of Cabo Pulmo’s recovery is the resurgence of its top predators, particularly the bull shark. These apex creatures are crucial for the health of the reef, and their return signals recovery.
After the first day in Cabo Pulmo, it was clear that a new problem was on its doorstep: overtourism. This is a tale as old as time. Where there’s beauty and natural wonder, there are people eager to see it up close and personal. And ever since the global pandemic, people are more eager than ever to embrace tourism—which has its pros and cons. While connecting with the natural world is essential, it shouldn't come at the expense of the local communities or the ecosystems they strive to protect. This is the conundrum Cabo Pulmo faces, and why some believe the shift from fishing to tourism was beneficial, while others view it as a detriment to the community.
In the early stages of establishing the national park, the Castro family didn’t foresee the challenges of managing a popular tourist destination. The Castro’s were at the forefront of establishing the marine park and over the years, have been footing the good and the bad that came with this choice. When we spoke to Judith Castro, the present-day face of the community and spokesperson for the national park, she explained that their primary focus back then was survival. Banning fishing from Cabo Pulmo’s protected waters and embracing tourism was a drastic shift, made without the luxury of a stable long-term plan. The concept of a marine protected area was new and foreign to them, and in many ways, still is.
Cabo Pulmo National Park spans an impressive 71.11 square kilometers (27.46 square miles), nestled in the still largely undeveloped East Cape region of Los Cabos. This stretch of coastline extends over 70 miles northeast from San José del Cabo to Los Barriles. Despite its vast protected area, Cabo Pulmo remains a quaint village with a tight-knit community of barely 100 residents, many of whom are Castros! This small but dedicated community has made incredible strides for their home, but they are still just a handful of people up against the roaring tourism industry that’s taking Cabo Pulmo by storm today.
International developers are flocking to Cabo Pulmo and setting up shop. They are building accommodations, creating dive operations, and establishing restaurants, which unfortunately is taking away business from the locals. This slow and steady takeover is hurting those who worked their entire lives to create a sanctuary here. But this isn't a novel concept—it’s happening everywhere around the world. In Cabo Pulmo though, the impacts are highly visible. Judith told us that she wouldn’t lose this place to big blockbuster tourism, not after how hard her family worked to establish this protected area and what the community went through to make it happen.
During our visit, we even experienced the thermoclines, where the temperature shifts dramatically from the surface to the depths. In 19-20 C water, we shivered in our 3mm wetsuits but couldn’t say no to a single dive. With such variable conditions from site to site and month to month, it’s hard to pinpoint the best time to dive in Cabo Pulmo; you never know what you’re going to get. However, regardless of the season, we were told that it’s impossible not to fall in love with the Sea of Cortez, and we couldn’t agree more. Our dives kept us so active that the cold seemed to fade away over time. Even my seasickness, which activated underwater, couldn't deter me; no amount of in-regulator retching could get me out of this water.
Cabo Pulmo left us pondering how to strike this painfully delicate balance. The local community wants people to come and dive these waters—it’s their source of income, after all. And international developers bring additional tourism dollars to the region, surely. But how can these two worlds coexist with the limited natural resources they both depend on as their lifeline? Moreover, how can local operators and international divers stand up against larger corporations eager to build on the lands surrounding the marine protected area, since the land itself is not fully protected as part of the national park boundaries? And perhaps most importantly, how can those who call Cabo Pulmo home work alongside government bodies and third-party partners to ensure the ongoing protection of this unspoiled wilderness?
These are the types of questions that Judith Castro constantly grapples with, and they are the same questions we carried with us after leaving Cabo Pulmo. Prioritizing ocean science, conservation, restoration, and protection, while figuring out how to live off the sea sustainably and collaboratively, is crucial. This means setting management and enforcement policies that benefit everyone, not just a select few, and controlling the amount of tourism that flows through such a small place.
While international developers can return to their home countries, the Castro family and others who make up the Cabo Pulmo community are here to stay, regardless of what happens next to their land and sea. Of course, this is easier said than done. Differing methodologies and approaches, a lack of funding and resources, among other factors, make “what’s next” for Cabo Pulmo a complex challenge. However, Cabo Pulmo has undergone an iterative process before, shifting from fishing to tourism against all odds. They can iterate again and come out even stronger, especially with the right level of support from stakeholders in and out of the country.
As this resilient community navigates their next chapter, other communities facing similar issues must take note, just as they did before. Love it or hate it for whatever reason, to us, Cabo Pulmo is a perfect case study—showing us the positives of marine protected areas, illustrating the cautionary tale around their establishment, and setting a roadmap for a successful future.
To be continued …
[If you’re interested in supporting Cabo Pulmo’s evolution, please reach out. We can put you in touch with Judith Castro to discuss potential options, the right local operators to collaborate with and how to travel to Cabo Pulmo in a way that’s sustainable and beneficial to this community. Please dive responsibly with an accredited operator, that’s locally owned, and follows the rules of the national park and protected area.]
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