Dive Cabo Pulmo National Park, Baja Sur, Mexico (UNESCO site)

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As one of only three coral reefs on the west coast of North America, the reef is estimated to be 20,000 years old and is the only living reef in the Sea of Cortez. There are eight separate fingers of the reef, four close to shore and the other four out in the bay. In 2005 the park also became a UNESCO World Heritage site. Parque Nacional Cabo Pulmo is one of the most popular destinations for scuba diving and snorkeling on the peninsula. Arrecife del Pulmo or Pulmo Reef at Cabo Pulmo is a national marine park on the southeast coast of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. The 4 mile long park is from Pulmo Point to Los Frailes Cape, approximately 60 miles (100km) north of Cabo San Lucas. It's estimated that 200 species of fish and marine invertebrates live around the reef. Bahía Pulmo is the location of the oldest of only three coral reefs on the west coast of North America and the only hard coral reef found in the Sea of Cortez. The reef, estimated to be 20,000 years old, is the northernmost coral reef in the eastern Pacific. The reef has a number of fingers of hard coral occurring in progressively deeper water offshore. On June 15, 1995, Mexican President Zedillo declared the area surrounding Cabo Pulmo, a National Marine Park. Amigos para la Conservación de Cabo Pulmo, A.C. In his book The Log from the Sea of Cortez, John Steinbeck described Cabo Pulmo Reef as follows: "The complexity of the life pattern on Pulmo Reef was even greater than at Cabo San Lucas. Clinging to the coral, growing on it, burrowing into it, was a teeming fauna. Every piece of the soft material broken off, skittered and pulsed with life, little crabs and worms and snails. One small piece of coral might conceal 30 or 40 species, and the colors on the reef were electric.” How to Visit: The small town of Cabo Pulmo has a handful of small hotels as well as a number of dive operators. It’s also possible explore the reef by snorkeling from the shore. Must-See Sights: El Bajo is one of the most popular reefs in the park, that must be reached by boat. There are 12 species of coral (of 14 species found worldwide) that can be seen here and abundant marine life to accompany it. Size: 17,575 acres Year Established as a Park: 1995 Flora/Fauna: It’s all about the marine life here. The waters are teeming with sharks, moray eels, sea turtles, mobula rays, octopus, lobsters, sea lions, and huge schools of tropical fish.

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