Baja's rugged coastline

Elephant tree

As you move south, familiar plants gradually give way to unusual species shaped by millennia of isolation and extreme aridity. Native plants, like the elephant tree, make the landscape appear surreal.

Immense cardons, the world's largest cacti, lift their columnar arms to bewildering heights, dwarfing the gnarled branches of twenty-foot tree yuccas. The largest cardons may be 200 years old, stand 60 feet high and weigh up to 10 tons. Eighty of Baja's 110 cactus species grow nowhere else on earth.

Cardon

In stark contrast to the desert, the Sea of Cortez teems with marine life. That's because tides surging up and down the narrow gulf create strong currents and eddies that bring nutrients from the deep and ensure high oxygen content in the water.

Bird nest

With such abundant resources, the gulf attracts many sea and shore birds. About 360 species nest on islands in the Sea of Cortez, including Brown and Blue-footed booby, petrels, murrelets, Heermann's gulls, Royal terns, Peregrine falcons, ospreys and turkey vultures.

The water surrounding the Baja peninsula contains an abundance of marine mammals. Over 20 species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) have been identified here. A full-time resident population of Finback whales lives in the Sea of Cortez, often concentrated around the Midriff Region. Winter brings Humpback whales to the gulf and the waters of the cape.

Dolphins at play

Blue whales are the largest animal to ever live on earth. At 100 feet long and weighing 150 tons, they cruise off the Pacific coast and often visit the Sea of Cortez between late winter and spring. Sperm whales are occasionally seen traveling in large groups. Orcas or "killer whales" often stay near the coastal islands, attracted to the numerous sea lions that live there. Common and bottle-nosed dolphins are abundant here. Common-nose dolphins are sometimes found in pods of more than a hundred animals.

In the bays, lagoons and offshore islands of Baja's Pacific coast, at least three marine mammals thought to be headed for extinction have reestablished themselves. The survival of the Gray whale, the Guadalupe fur seal and the Elephant seal is a tribute to Baja's isolation.

Thousands of Gray whales come to the lagoons of Baja's west coast each year, from December to March, to breed and give birth to their young. One of the best places to see them is at Bahia Magdalena -- a wilderness of sand dunes, mangrove channels, and protected waters.

Baja beach

Baja's beaches are treasure troves of shells, either washed ashore or left behind by predators. Above the tide line you can find shells of murex, scallops, snails, and clams. You'll also see tiny crabs scurrying across the sand. Tide pools are rich with life -- hundreds of tiny fish, spiny purple sea urchins, green flecked sea cucumbers and starfish.

All but 10 percent of the gulf's 568 known species of fish are found close to shore. You can see many of them while you snorkel -- Butterfly fish, Parrot fish, puffers, Damselfish, Squirrelfish, Barracuda, Triggerfish and Zebra moray. Also look for sea horses, anemones, sponges and corals.

Farther out you'll find mackerel, giant sea bass, grouper, yellowtail, and dorado. Giant manta rays are also found in the gulf. These kite-like creatures are virtually harmless unless you step on their barbed tail. Less harmless are the Hammerhead, Tiger and Leopard sharks that patrol the Sea of Cortez.

Osprey

Baja is one corner of the world where some animals seem to be holding their own or even gaining a bit in the struggle against habitat destruction. This region that appears barren instead nurtures abundant life. With growing recognition, Baja may be able to continue giving pleasure, insight and understanding to the inhabitants of a crowded planet.