Massive barchan dunes migrating from the Pacific Coast towards Laguna Ojo de Liebre, which is the world’s largest nursing site for California grey whales.
This lagoon complex is located in the community of Guerrero Negro, Municipality of Mulegé, in the state of Baja California Sur. In September 2000, the 20,102-hectare (49,651-acre) Guerrero Negro wetland was designated a WHSRN Site of International Importance, nominated by Exportadora de Sal S.A. de C.V., a salt-extraction company with a concession in the area. Through scientific research and monitoring activities in the area since, partners discovered that the larger complex of Ojo de Liebre – Guerrero Negro (163,765 hectares [404,500 acres]) meets the criteria for a Site of Hemispheric Importance by hosting over 30% of the biogeographic population of not one, but three species: Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) [50%]; subspecies of Red Knot (Calidris canutus roselaari) [32%]; and subspecies of Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus cairinus) [68%]. The area supports 31 shorebird species overall, including regionally important populations (> 1%) of seven species.
Barchan dunes, Coastal, Sand Dunes, Pacific Ocean, Guerrero Negro, Mexico
At Guerrero Negro we live and share our environment with our giants: the Great Desert of El Vizcaíno, the huge coastal lagoons and his enormous Winter visitors –Gray Whales, as well as the colossal trucks that transport the salt that identify us and give us prosperity. The love for our land comes from our strength and pride and from there we shape our culture. Be welcome to know our Giants Sanctuary and to figure out our legendary history!
Coastal Sand Dunes(Barchan Dunes) of Guerrero Negro, Baja California, Mexico
A dune field of uniform 6-m-high barchan ridges, about 40 square km in area, has blown inland from a barrier beach and has formed a partition of sand across the lagoon. The partition connects the barrier beach with the Baja California mainland. During 3.5 years of observation, the dunes advanced with a mean velocity of 18 m/year. This is equivalent to a discharge of 23 cu m of sand/m width/year. This discharge acting over the 1800-year life of the barrier beach, as dated by Carbon-14, is shown to be compatible with total volume of sand required to extend the dune field across the lagoon to the mainland. Observed travel rate of dunes was about twice that predicted from wind measurements.
During high water accompanying spring tides, the floor of the interdune areas is inundated by water from the lagoons; thus, the windward margins of the dunes are subjected to the action of small waves generated by wind. The waves form miniature barrier beaches that are preserved as the dune migrates and serve as fortnightly and monthly time markers in the sediments. Avalanche bedding is the most common small-scale internal structure in the dune field. Gently sloping laminations associated with wind-blown ripples and with wave swash on the miniature barrier beaches are also common.
Getting to the dunes requires walking across the wide and shallow Medano Creek, which flows only from spring to early summer. Hiking is permitted, with the warning that the sand can get very hot in the summer, up to 140° Fahrenheit (60° Celsius). The area gets snow in the winter.
Sand wheelchairs are available at the Visitor’s Center.
The closest city is Alamosa, though Canon City, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Denver and Albuquerque, New Mexico are within a few hours’ drive.
Unlike most national parks in the lower 48 states, Great Sand Dunes National Park is equipped with a preserve which allows hunting; the preserve designation is absent from most of the lower 48. Sport hunting, which is only allowed in the preserve, is equipped with many regulations, which are available in the park’s website; these regulations and laws include not pursuing a wounded animal if it enters the park or hunting inside national park boundaries. Bow-hunting is common in the preserve, and ptarmigan are frequent targets of bow-hunters. Mountain lion hunting with dogs is also allowed in the preserve, but unless the dogs have spotted the lion and are pursuing it, they are required to be leashed.
Attractions, other than the whales, in the Guerrero Negro area include the salt works and the incredible sand dunes of Dunas de Soledad, about six miles outside of town to the north.
All about Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, México
Guerrero Negro (Municipal Delegation) is part of the Mulegé Municipality, the largest of the five municipalities in South Baja California. Adjacent to the municipalities of Comondú and Loreto at the South, is the political division with Baja California State at North – a huge iron eagle at the 28° Parallel represents the State limit and marks the entrance to our State.
Weather is desert-Mediterranean, being foggy, wet and cold at dawn, hot at noon and windy and cold at night, with an average temperature of 22°C (71° F). The rain season is in winter, although it never rains much.
Its strategic location makes us the most developed city between San Quintín and Santa Rosalía. Guerrero Negro offers a great variety of services for its population: educative services comprise from the first level up to university (UABCS), and there is a research center (CIBNOR). There are supermarkets very well supplied, tortilla shops, drinking water and basic shops.
For tourists there are distinguished and interesting hotels, very well known ecotourism companies and some handcraft and curios shops. Main street offers restaurants, taco kiosks and bakery shops. Sea food is very fresh and abundant; the best of the best Mario’s Restaurant is a must! You can’t miss their delicious specialties such as lion hand scallops, lobster, chocolate clam, octopus, shrimp and fish cooked in their very particular style in a very special rustic environment.
Visitors have to visit the world’s biggest open air salt (ESSA Company authorization needed). Salt mining began in the region with the discovery of fossil salt deposits in natural marshes formed by enormous inundation areas at Ojo de Liebre Lagoon. These deposits or salt beds were formed by natural evaporation of the sea water that flooded flat and impermeable terrains during high tides. Long time these dry salt deposits were exploited in a rudimentary way and transported in mine gondolas to a wood pier at the southwest corner of the Lagoon to be embarked in small ships. The remains of those facilities are still visible in the lagoon.
Salt production process used by ESSA (Salt Export Co.) is known as “Sea Water Solar Evaporation” and is a two step process: sea water concentration for obtaining sodium chlorine saturated brine and the crystallization of the sodium chlorine, that later is harvested and washed. The entire process is done in a plant at Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur.
At Guerrero Negro Lagoon you can visit “La Isla” (The Island) created artificially for the first salt loading port –the current port is called “El Chaparrito” that is located at Ojo de Liebre Lagoon; along the years big quantities of sand has been accumulated producing beautiful sand marshes and dunes. At La Isla there is a light house and a rest area with an incredible view surrounded by marshes. There is a project of a Natural and Regional History Museum at this place that will show the richness of the region now and in the past.
The Lagoon Ojo de Liebre along with the sea water evaporation ponds of the salt mine, constitute the habitat of many species of birds and is being awarded as a Hemispheric Importance Site for the “Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network”. In Guerrero Negro visit the Bird Refugee were you can observe and to get information about the different bird species of the Lagoon. You can also tour the marshes that are habitat of different species of birds such as White Pelicans, Red Tailed Falcon, White and Red Egrets, Whimbrel and the Osprey.
You can visit too La Soledad Dunes (or Don Miguelito’s Dunes) East from Laguna Guerrero Negro. Following Highway 1 to the South you can visit the Rock paints of the Sierra de San Francisco (rock art that is part of the World Heritage Sites since 1993), and Santa Marta’s Rock Paints. Following in South direction you will find Jesuitical Missions established by natural oasis. You will also find Islands, beautiful bays and much more. Tour enterprises offer the best options for excursion because due to the zone characteristics it is highly recommended not to adventure alone in the Sierras and Desert but to hire experienced guides. Along the whole route you can explore Vizcaíno Desert with its exceptional flora, where you can spot distinctive cactus such as the Boojum Tree, Pitaya and Elephant Cactus.
Guerrero Negro area is very attractive to ecotourism because its location inside the Great Biosphere Reserve of El Vizcaíno. The Reserve was decreed November 30th, 1998 and is managed by the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas, its surface is 2’546,790 hectares (6’293,255.144 acres) being the largest protected area of the country and one of the largest in Latin America. The reserve is part of the International Network of Man and Biosphere Program by UNESCO since 1993. In 2004 San Ignacio and Ojo de Liebre Lagoons were inserted at the list of RAMSAR Wetland Convention for International Importance Sites.
Enthusiastic visitors from around the world arrive to Guerrero Negro in order to live the experience of meeting the Gray Whale in the waters of Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, where –from December to March, they breed and give birth. Visiting the lagoon is possible only by hiring the services of the authorized Tour Operators (such as Mario´s Tours or others). This wonderful sight – living it and being amazed by the beauty of these giants is a experience capable of renew our sense of wonder.
At dusk, back in town you can witness the arrival of the ospreys to their nests, and to taste a delicious dinner. All of these are extraordinary experiences.