Gulf of California Hope Spot
When Dr. Sylvia Earle founded Mission Blue in 2010, she designated the Gulf of California as the very first Hope Spot.
Dr. Sylvia Earle with Brett Loveman (left), Director of Communications and Kip Evans (right), Director of Expeditions and Photography
Since then, we've embarked on 5 expeditions to the Hope Spot in 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 with the following goals:
- Explore unique areas in the Gulf of California with a select team of scientists, donors, partners and press
- Highlight areas that need protection, and areas under consideration for marine protected area (MPA) status
- Increase Mexican political officials’ knowledge of local conservation groups and programs working at the grassroots level
- Create short films highlighting the importance of helping Mexican NGOs protect the Gulf of California, which can be used to further develop stakeholder support in the region
Dr. Sylvia Earle visits the Gulf of California Hope Spot!
Through these expeditions, Dr. Earle and the Mission Blue team have developed close ties to community groups and policy makers in the Gulf of California with support from partners including the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation and the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature, A.C. (FMCN) . We look forward to continuing to shine a light on the beauty and value of this rich ecosystem and those who are working to protect it.
The First Hope Spot Champion
Dr. James Ketchum (left) is the Champion of the Gulf of California Hope Spot!
Dr. James Ketchum is a shark expert and one of the Hope Spot Champions for the Gulf of California Hope Spot. He co-founded the nonprofit Pelagios Kakunjá, who’s extensive research has contributed to expanding government-designated marine protected areas and other related initiatives.
The Gulf is Bursting with Life!
The Gulf of California is a 700-mile long narrow sea nestled between Baja and mainland Mexico, and is one of the world's richest and youngest seas.
Schooling jacks
The Gulf is home to more than 800 species of fish, 2,000 invertebrates, as well as whales, dolphins, sea turtles, sea lions and the critically endangered vaquita porpoise.
The vaquitas and other marine life are under threat from overfishing and net entanglements, but progress is in the works. Several nonprofits have been educating local fisheries on safely removing animals that become caught in fishing nets, and have been adopting new gear that prevents bycatching all together.
Protecting the Gulf's Sharks
Despite continuous challenges to protect the area’s sharks, Dr. Earle says that the protection granted through the Marine Park has been helping.
Sharks in Trouble (Cabo Pulmo, Gulf of California, 2016)
Shark Tagging With Radio Telemetry
While MPAs are proven to be tremendously helpful in allowing for threatened marine species to replenish their numbers, sharks don’t stay in one place! Shark migration patterns are an under-explored, albeit important phenomenon.
Shark tagging began in 2005 in Cocos Island, with the first ever tagging of scalloped hammerhead sharks. Since then, a great deal of data has been collected and analyzed, and several organizations are hard at work to push for greater protection for sharks through the distance and scope of their migration patterns, or “corridors”.
Organizations like Pelagios Kakunja are using technology called radio telemetry to track sharks’ migration patterns in the Gulf of California with the goal of pushing for policy change to protect these "in-between" areas that currently act as protection blind spots between marine protected areas.
The Annual Shark Conference
Marine Conservation Institute has recognized the Gulf of California Hope Spot with a Blue Park Award. Click here to learn more about the program.
