AP PHOTOS: Baja peninsula features whales, exotic preserves
In this March 3, 2015 photo, the last rays of sunlight illuminate a cardon cactus in the Valle de los Cirios, near Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The Valle de los Cirios, also known as Valley of the Boojums, is a federally protected flora and fauna conservation area, one of Mexicos largest protected areas. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
GUERRERO NEGRO, Mexico (AP) — Far from the sprawling, all-inclusive resorts of Mexico’s Los Cabos is a part of the Baja California peninsula that few tourists ever see, but should.
In one of Mexico’s largest federally protected conservation areas for flora and fauna is a land forested with desert plants that look like they were drawn by Dr. Seuss: candle-like boojum trees and distinctively sculptural elephant trees, towering cardon cacti and other types of succulents.
Sitting in the middle of the peninsula, this little-known spot is the Valle de los Cirios, or Valley of the Boojums. The plants it is named for were dubbed cirios — or candles — in Spanish, evidently because of their resemblance to tapered church candles at the missions nearby. Southwestern naturalist Godfrey Sykes later christened that same tree the “boojum,” for an imaginary animal character in Lewis Carroll’s nonsense poem “The Hunting of the Snark.”
In this March 3, 2015 photo, an Osprey, also known as a fish eagle, perches on a metal structure as it dries off, after diving into ocean waters, in Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. One of the largest concentrations of Osprey’s in the world inhabit the city, nesting on artificial structures around the lagoon. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, an Osprey, also known as a fish eagle, perches on a metal structure as it dries off, after diving into ocean waters, in Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. One of the largest concentrations of Osprey’s in the world inhabit the city, nesting on artificial structures around the lagoon. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a trio of peninsular pronghorns roam in a large fenced area managed by Mexico’s Peninsular Pronghorn Recovery Plan, near Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The peninsular pronghorn, one of the oldest known mammals on the American continent, is known locally as “los fantasmas del desierto,” or ghosts of the desert, because the color and markings of their fur provide for excellent camouflage in the surrounding desert terrain. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a trio of peninsular pronghorns roam in a large fenced area managed by Mexico’s Peninsular Pronghorn Recovery Plan, near Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The peninsular pronghorn, one of the oldest known mammals on the American continent, is known locally as “los fantasmas del desierto,” or ghosts of the desert, because the color and markings of their fur provide for excellent camouflage in the surrounding desert terrain. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a pair of pelicans rest on the edge of a barge filled with sea salt ready for exportation, at the Salt Export Co. (ESSA), port installations, in Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. According to ESSA, their company operates the world’s largest solar salt business, producing approximately 7 million tons annually. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a pair of pelicans rest on the edge of a barge filled with sea salt ready for exportation, at the Salt Export Co. (ESSA), port installations, in Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. According to ESSA, their company operates the world’s largest solar salt business, producing approximately 7 million tons annually. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
Birds like pelicans and ospreys abound and peninsular pronghorns, once hunted to near extinction, roam the desert landscape. Under a Mexican government program, the hoofed animals are now making a comeback from their once critically endangered status. Among the oldest known mammals in the Americas, the pronghorns are known locally as “ghosts of the desert” because their golden brown or tan color and white markings helps camouflage them.
Nearby, visitors can see ancient cave paintings depicting deer, whales and humans with six fingers.
This March 3, 2015 photo, shows pictographs in a cave in the Valle de los Cirios, near Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Scientists estimate that the primitive art in the area depicting deer, whales and humans with six fingers is at least 3,000 years old. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
This March 3, 2015 photo, shows pictographs in a cave in the Valle de los Cirios, near Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Scientists estimate that the primitive art in the area depicting deer, whales and humans with six fingers is at least 3,000 years old. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
The stark beauty and solitude encountered are a far cry from the fancy restaurants, pools with swim-up bars, fishing, snorkeling and sunbathing popular on the southern end of the Sea of Cortez, the long slip of water sandwiched between the Baja Peninsula and Mexico’s mainland. The peninsula was once eloquently described in a travel journal by American writer John Steinbeck; its stunning coral reefs were praised by ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau.
In this March 3, 2015 photo, visitors aboard a boat watch as a gray whale surfaces in the Pacific Ocean waters of the San Ignacio lagoon, near the town of Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Hunted to the edge of extinction in the 1850s after the discovery of the calving lagoons, and again in the early 1900s with the introduction of floating factories, the gray whale was given full protection in 1947 by the International Whaling Commission. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, visitors aboard a boat watch as a gray whale surfaces in the Pacific Ocean waters of the San Ignacio lagoon, near the town of Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Hunted to the edge of extinction in the 1850s after the discovery of the calving lagoons, and again in the early 1900s with the introduction of floating factories, the gray whale was given full protection in 1947 by the International Whaling Commission. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a gray whale surfaces in the Pacific Ocean waters of the San Ignacio lagoon, near the town of Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The town has a long whaling history, having been named for the Black Warrior, a whaling ship that partially sank in the area in 1858. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a gray whale surfaces in the Pacific Ocean waters of the San Ignacio lagoon, near the town of Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The town has a long whaling history, having been named for the Black Warrior, a whaling ship that partially sank in the area in 1858. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a gray whale breaches the surface as another swims nearby in the Pacific Ocean waters of the San Ignacio lagoon, near Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Every year, an estimated 20,000 gray whales make one of the longest migrations of any mammal, from the Bering Sea to the warmer waters of Baja’s lagoons. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a gray whale breaches the surface as another swims nearby in the Pacific Ocean waters of the San Ignacio lagoon, near Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Every year, an estimated 20,000 gray whales make one of the longest migrations of any mammal, from the Bering Sea to the warmer waters of Baja’s lagoons. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a gray whale dives into the Pacific Ocean waters of the San Ignacio lagoon, near the town of Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The presence of gray whales in Scammon and San Ignacio lagoons reached its peak in late February, registering the entry of more than 2,500 adult whales and calves. This figure is considered one of the best averages of the past 19 years, according to the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a gray whale dives into the Pacific Ocean waters of the San Ignacio lagoon, near the town of Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The presence of gray whales in Scammon and San Ignacio lagoons reached its peak in late February, registering the entry of more than 2,500 adult whales and calves. This figure is considered one of the best averages of the past 19 years, according to the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
A short way to the south, magnificent gray whales arrive every year off the Pacific coast town of Guerrero Negro, following one of the world’s longest migration routes. They mate and calve in the lagoons nearby.
Mexico’s government says there were more than 2,600 whales in the lagoons at the end of February, including adults and calves — among the highest numbers in 19 years and 10 percent more than last season. It estimates whale-watching could continue through the end of April before the sea mammals head back to Alaska.
Guerrero Negro has a long whaling history and was named for the whaling ship Black Warrior that partially sank in the area in 1858.
Also located here is the largest salt-making facility on the planet. The salt is extracted from ocean water by evaporation, taking advantage of the region’s low yearly rainfall, its large areas of flatlands and high solar radiation.
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a cloudy blue sky is reflected in a flood zone used to evaporate sea salt by salt producer Salt Export Co. (ESSA), in Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Salt is made by drawing sea water into ponds and then allowing wind and sunshine to evaporate the excess water. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a cloudy blue sky is reflected in a flood zone used to evaporate sea salt by salt producer Salt Export Co. (ESSA), in Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Salt is made by drawing sea water into ponds and then allowing wind and sunshine to evaporate the excess water. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a bulldozer moves salt for loading onto barges, at the Salt Export Co. (ESSA), port installations, in Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The largest salt-making facility on the planet is located here. The salt is extracted from ocean water by evaporation, taking advantage of the regions low yearly rainfall, large areas of flat lands and high solar radiation. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a bulldozer moves salt for loading onto barges, at the Salt Export Co. (ESSA), port installations, in Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The largest salt-making facility on the planet is located here. The salt is extracted from ocean water by evaporation, taking advantage of the regions low yearly rainfall, large areas of flat lands and high solar radiation. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a group of California sea lions rest on a large bouy in the San Ignacio lagoon, in the Pacific Ocean, near Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a group of California sea lions rest on a large bouy in the San Ignacio lagoon, in the Pacific Ocean, near Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a group of California sea lions rest in a large bouy in the San Ignacio lagoon, on the Pacific Ocean near the town of Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, a group of California sea lions rest in a large bouy in the San Ignacio lagoon, on the Pacific Ocean near the town of Guerrero Negro, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
If you go:
This March 3, 2015 photo shows a decaying building near an abandoned mining operation, near Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Precious metals have been mined in the area since the 18th century. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
This March 3, 2015 photo shows a decaying building near an abandoned mining operation, near Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Precious metals have been mined in the area since the 18th century. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
This March 3, 2015 photo shows a Boojum tree, left, which often grows alongside yuccas, ocotillos and cardóns, on a hill overlooking the Valle de los Cirios, near Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The boojum tree also known as a cirio, is Spanish for candle. It is believed the unusual plant was given this name because of it’s resemblance to the tapered church candles that decorated the nearby Spanish missions. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
This March 3, 2015 photo shows a Boojum tree, left, which often grows alongside yuccas, ocotillos and cardóns, on a hill overlooking the Valle de los Cirios, near Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The boojum tree also known as a cirio, is Spanish for candle. It is believed the unusual plant was given this name because of it’s resemblance to the tapered church candles that decorated the nearby Spanish missions. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, cacti are silhouetted against a twilight sky in the Valle de los Cirios, near Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Also known as the Valley of the Boojums for the unusual cacti tree that is endemic to the area, it is one of Mexicos largest protected areas. The land is forested with desert flora that looks like it was drawn by Dr. Seuss: Boojums and elephant trees, cardon cacti, and many other types of succulents, as well as a variety of birds and mammals. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
In this March 3, 2015 photo, cacti are silhouetted against a twilight sky in the Valle de los Cirios, near Guerrero Negro, Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Also known as the Valley of the Boojums for the unusual cacti tree that is endemic to the area, it is one of Mexicos largest protected areas. The land is forested with desert flora that looks like it was drawn by Dr. Seuss: Boojums and elephant trees, cardon cacti, and many other types of succulents, as well as a variety of birds and mammals. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills)
Valley of the Boojums is in the middle of the 775-mile (1,247-kilometer) Baja California peninsula and can be reached by car. Vehicles can be rented either in Tijuana near the Mexico-U.S. border in the north or in the resorts of La Paz or Los Cabos in the south.
Guerrero Negro can be reached by car and has a small airport with regional service. Visiting the lagoons where you can watch whales is possible only through authorized tour operators in Guerrero Negro. Guides for seeing cave drawings can also be found in Guerrero Negro.
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Dario Lopez-Mills on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DarioLopezMills
