ISLAS MARIETAS NATIONAL PARK, NAYARIT.

The National Park "Islas Marietas" is the equivalent to the state of Nayarit of what the Eiffel tower is to France, its icon, its symbol, its reference to the world. Nowadays, in addition to its natural beauty, the Islas Marietas National Park stands out for being a good conservation example, which consolidates the effort of many heroes willing to protect it. The main tourist attractions at Islas Marietas are Playa Escondida or Playa del Amor, Humpback whale watching during the winter, diving in coral reefs and dolphin sighting. Its natural beauty and ecological importance has been protected through its designation a natural protected area, also recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Islas Marietas represents an important nesting, shelter and reproduction for 92 sea birds species including the brown and blue-footed boobies, seagulls, magnificent frigate bird and brown pelican, among others. The 1,383 hectares park includes two islands, two islets and its surrounding marine area. It’s located 10 km from Punta Mita, 33 km from Nuevo Vallarta and 39 km from Puerto Vallarta, three important touristic destinations in Bahia Banderas.

The high number of tourists that visit the area could put the ecosystem in danger, therefore, the government, touristic sector and the civil society organizations work together to ensure that this world heritage maintains its ecological functions, natural beauty and economic importance.

AT ISLAS MARIETAS WE ARE HEROES!

The campaign has reached phase two: consolidation, and now We are heroes!!!

Today, tourism operators are permanently supporting the campaign, surveillance has permanent presence, education programs are being funded and continuous monitoring is in place. Today, tourists can enjoy nature in a more sustainable way, they can feel proud that their visit is helping the environment and they can continue to contribute to protect our natural heritage through this campaign. We are heroes because we follow the current rules and regulations. We are heroes because we surveil, train and promote the values of respect and care for the environment.

The heroes that we were looking for have been found and it’s time to recognize that in Islas Marietas "We are heroes.

HOW DO WE HELP?

Paralelo 28 trough Pronatura Noroeste, in coordination with CONANP and Bahia Unida, invest the resources generated by the Heroes Wanted campaign in the protection of the area, to guarantee an optimal use of the resources and ensuring the continuous presence of five guardians in the ocean.

Be part of the heroes that have set an example in all Mexico. When we use the two bracelets #WeAreHeroes #SomosHeroes.

LORETO BAY NATIONAL PARK, BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR.

This is the protected natural area that houses the greatest diversity of marine mammals in Mexico. About 75% of the marine mammal species that visit Mexican coasts can be found in Bahía de Loreto throughout the year, including the world’s largest animal: the blue whale, as well as killer whales, dolphins, sea lions and sperm whales.

Bahía de Loreto is a region of global importance, as it serves as a relevant breeding, feeding and migration area for diverse species.

Its beauty and natural richness is a magnet for tourists, who visit Bahía de Loreto to perform a wide variety of activities such as whale watching, sport fishing, kayaking, diving and sailing. It is therefore important to ensure that coexistence with nature is done in a sustainable way.

The Bahía de Loreto National Park covers more than 200,000 hectares and is located off the coast of Loreto in the eastern central side of Baja California Sur. It is formed by five islands: Coronados, Danzante, del Carmen, Catalana and Monserrat.

The Bahía de Loreto National Park is home to marine mammal species including communities of sea lions and dolphins, together with rays, sharks, turtles, and of course whales.

In the marine zone there also live crustaceans such as lobster, shrimp, and crab, and a great variety of fish like snapper, spotted bass, tilapia, grouper, tuna and dorado.

Along the coastal zone birds may be seen including yellow-legged gulls, brown pelicans, ospreys and boobies, among others.

HOW DO WE HELP?

Paralelo 28 invests the resources generated in the campaign "Se Buscan Héroes" (Heroes Wanted) to protect the area, by ensuring the presence of vigilantes at sea. This is made possible thanks to Pronatura Noroeste AC, along with the cooperation of the authorities in the area.

LA PAZ BAY, BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR.

Right in the Bahía de La Paz area, there is a valuable biodiversity that provides important environmental services for both the country and the world. The Espíritu Santo Archipelago and Balandra are two natural protected areas that ensure the preservation of the zone.

In this archipelago, tourism enjoys unsurpassed landscapes that reflect a beautiful contrast between the sea and the desert. The tranquility of its beaches and biodiversity are two of its main attributes.

Tourists can enjoy the contact with nature aboard a yacht, sailboat, panga or kayak; they can either walk through the licensed trails or lounge on the beaches designed for recreation and camping. It’s our responsibility to treasure this privileges so that future generations can enjoy them too.

Balandra is another unique site in Mexico due to its biological, landscape and social values. One of its beaches hosts a rocky formation known as El hongo de Balandra, which is a regional icon that has served as an emblem for the city of La Paz, in Baja California.

Balandra has an area of 2,521 hectares and stands out as a site for breeding, sheltering and reproducing migratory and resident birds, as well as several marine species that are important to the fishing industry. In addition, it is the coastal wetland with the largest extension of mangrove in Bahía de la Paz –a mangrove is a woody tree or shrub that positively contributes to the environment by capturing CO2 from the atmosphere, producing oxygen, serving as a breeding ground for various marine species, among other inputs–.

HOW DO WE HELP?

Paralelo 28 invest the income generated by the Heroes Wanted campaign to protect the area, by ensuring the continuous presence of guardians in the ocean. This will be conducted through Red de Observadores Ciudadanos A.C. and Sociedad de Historia Natural Niparajá A.C. along with the cooperation of the authorities in the area.

CABO PULMO NATIONAL PARK, BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR.

Cabo Pulmo is the best example of marine conservation in Mexico. It houses the largest coral reef and one of the oldest in the American Pacific.

Considered as one of the most successful marine reserves worldwide, the reef is habitat for numerous species that over 21 years of protection have been increasing in number and size.

Ensuring that the successful effort of so many years continues to fructify is everyone’s job. That is why we collaborate with the authorities and the local community to carry out long-term conservation strategies.

Today, Cabo Pulmo National Park is referred to as a conservation jewel, as it contains 11 species of hard coral and 25% of the fish species reported in the Gulf of California. In addition, it is considered a valuable ecosystem due to the various environmental contributions it makes to the local community, such as serving as a breeding ground for marine species.

HOW DO WE HELP?

Paralelo 28 invest the income generated by the Heroes Wanted campaign to protect the area, by ensuring the continuous presence of guardians in the ocean. This will be conducted through Pronatura Noroeste A.C. and Sociedad de Historia Natural Niparajá A.C. along with the cooperation of the authorities in the area.

LOS ARCOS MARINE PARK, JALISCO.

The Marine Park Los Arcos is a natural monument with one of the most beautiful cliffs in all the Mexican Pacific Ocean, which attracts every day hundreds of tourists.

Located south of Banderas Bay, between Puerto Vallarta and Playa Mismaloya beach in the coasts of Jalisco, this area provides protection to marine flora and fauna. Composed by the waters surrounding three granite islands, a refuge was stablished in 1975 to recover the area biodiversity, by prohibiting all fishing activities. This marine reserve has positioned itself as a wonderful place to practice snorkeling and diving. In it, caves, tunnels, arches and impressive reefs with depths that vary between 9 and 480 meters can be found and different marine bird species can be seen including parrots, pelicans and many other species.

Additionally, the notorious presence of colorful fishes such as the king and Cortez angelfish, spotted eagle ray, sea turtles, octopuses and lobsters among other species make diving and snorkeling a very appealing activity.

Due to its great touristic appeal and its potential to recover fisheries, it’s essential to order tourism operations and increase surveillance actions. To do so, we launched the Heroes Wanted campaign with the intent to replicate the successful Islas Marietas collaboration model. With the support of tourist operators and tourists,we will generate the necessary funds surveil and protect Los Arcos.

HOW DO WE HELP?

Paralelo 28 through Pronatura Noroeste and in coordination with PROFEPA and Bahía Unida invest the incomes generated by the Heroes Wanted campaign in the protection of the area, to guarantee an optimal use of the resources and ensuring the continuous presence of two guardians in the ocean.

HUMPBACK WHALE IN BANDERAS BAY, JALISCO Y NAYARIT

Large marine mammals such as killer whales, dolphins and whales migrate from the North to the South Pacific Ocean and arrive in the Gulf of California between the months of December and March looking for warm waters to reproduce. Banderas Bay is the winter home of a sea acrobat: the humpback whale. On the coasts of Nayarit and Jalisco it is common to see them jump, making this scenario their refuge to give birth to their calves or to find a mate and give life to the next generation.

Humpback whale watching is a seasonal tourist attraction that provides work for coastal communities and the entire chain of tourist services in Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, Punta Mita, among other locations. Seeing these cetaceans up close is an unforgettable experience and, because of how curious they can be, the management of the activity is a priority for the protection of the species but also of the tourists.

The adult humpback whale can measure up to 16 meters and weigh an average of 36 tons, while its gestation period is 11 months and its calves can measure approximately four meters in length. Having guides and tourist service providers trained to see these giants safely is essential to avoid accidents with tourists or harassment of the whales.

For this reason, the model of sector participation tested in Islas Marietas was replicated for the humpback whale in a satisfactory manner. Tourists wear a conservation bracelet that assures them that they are on board a boat that knows the rules for careful and sustainable whale watching.

HOW DO WE HELP?

Paralelo 28, through Pronatura Noroeste and in coordination with PROFEPA and Bahía Unida, invests the resources generated by the Heroes Wanted Campaign in the protection of the species, guaranteeing an optimal use of resources and thus ensuring the continuous presence of guardians at sea who check that the boats are following the rules of whale watching.

WHALE SHARK,IN LA PAZ BAY.

La Paz Bay possesses unique marine environments with a rich biodiversity; 80 species grouped in 31 families are registered there. Among them stands out the world’s largest fish, the whale shark, a filtering fish that swims slowly and maintains itself at a low depth sucking up big amounts of water to feed on tiny invertebrates and plankton. Each year the whale sharks visit La Paz bay between October and April and in 2018 a refuge has been established to protect it.

This iconic species is of great value for tourism. Through observation activities over a hundred people are employed and thousands or tourists get to experience being with a giant under water. Regulating and ordering the activities is critical to ensure that Whale sharks are safe and that tourists have a wonderful experience.

In Mexico, the whale shark is a "threatened" specie, meaning that protecting from fishing, pollution and other risks is a must. Currently, the most important risks come from fishing activities through incidental captures and by damages due to inappropriate touristic activities. To continue having the visit of the whale shark in La Paz Bay, it’s necessary that we all work together: tourists, tourist operators, authorities and civil society.

Join the Heroes! #HeroesWanted

HOW DO WE HELP?

Paralelo 28 invest the income generated by the Heroes Wanted campaign in the protection of whale sharks in La Paz, by ensuring the continuous presence of guardians in the ocean. This will be conducted through Red de Observadores Ciudadanos A.C., Sociedad de Historia Natural Niparajá A.C. and Pronatura Noroeste A.C.