Committed to address environmental issues

The Sea of Cortez Foundation is an independent non-profit organization that is taking a distinctive approach to meeting a need and responding to an environmental concern.

As an non-profit foundation that fosters the preservation and enhancement of BCS marine ecosystems through scientific research, education, and community outreach we rely on public donations and support. The strategic focus of Sea of Cortez Foundation is protecting the integrity of marine ecosystems which are becoming increasingly threatened due to overexploitation and overpopulation.

One of our goals is to assist in improving marine recreation business practices and increase the tourism sector´s involvement in marine conservation efforts in the southern Baja California region by developing a voluntary code of conduct for marine tour operators, and by training and providing technical assistance to local managers of marine recreation operations.

This website tells the story of the Sea of Cortez Organisation. If you would like to keep up with the work we are doing here, click this link and add the Sea of Cortez Organisation to your favorites.

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The Foundation

Sea of Cortez Foundation

One of the founding members, a longtime La Paz resident involved in marine related business in a highlevel position and therefore wishing to remain anonymous, observed the changes to the Sea of Cortez first hand.

As an avid nature lover/outdoors man and freediver closely connected to this area, once called by Jacques Cousteau "the aquarium of the world", he realized that conservation and protection of this marvelous sea- and landscape is required.

His passion for the outdoors along with spending countless hours with local fisherman along the coast, allowed him to hear their concerns and observe their needs. From this experience he formed the cornerstone of the Sea of Cortez Organization

High poverty rural communities, for generations, have come to rely on fishing to make their daily meals and create some income. These communities require educational programs and training for the residents to avoid further damage to the local ecosystem.

This region and his now ecologically fragile system is in the need of support!

“The Sea of Cortez Foundation is all about streamlining support, channel limited fundings, helping to avoid backlog of needed projects, recruit more help and create awarness of this magnificient region with it's marine biodiversity”.

Conservation and Environment

The following S.o.C. Organisation logbook entries are an archive spanning the past months the Foundation and it's volenteers have been active involved educating to forster native aquaculture species, creating environmental impact assessments and pointing fingers....

There is only 1 Sea of Cortez

Along the baja shores - polluted by reckless visitors

The municipality enjoys an extensive coastline along the Sea of Cortez where aquaculture, ecotourism, and adventure tourism activities, such as trekking, sport fishing, kayaking, and camping, are possible. Coastal fishing must be subjected to rigorous fisheries management, and the resources available could foster projects for farming some species.

Gulf of California - the aquarium of the world

Below sealevel - "overtourisum" takes his toll

Harvard University researchers and local academics report in '05:"The growth of tourism and resident populations will increase the number of fishermen plying the waters of the region. Increased fishing effort will put additional pressure on fishing stocks that are already displaying signs of overexploitation…"read more

Where the whales end there journey to give birth

"In the bays" - "They" travel very far...

Whale-watching trips are becoming increasingly popular. It is important that the whale-watching boats do not disturb the whales. Regulation helps protect coastal whales such as the gray, but most whales live in the open ocean and are outside the jurisdiction of any one country. These whales can recover only if many nations cooperate to help protect them. read more

Illegal longline fishing!!

Offshore - again and again: longline fishers

Longlines are not illegal what would be illegal is how the longline is used and what are they catching with. This is not just a Mexican conflict as you know because what is known as "incidental catch" is a world wide problem. So if you are commercially catching dorado or marlin or billfish or turtles or totoaba or marine mammals or any other protected or reserved or endangered species then it becomes illegal.read more

Senseless sharkfisihing

Many species - Sharks and others species endangered!

There are 370 known species of sharks, 150 of which live in the Sea of Cortez. At least eight are in danger of extinction due to shark fishing and fining including Hammerhead Sharks, Blue Sharks, Bull Sharks, Sand Sharks, Tiger Sharks, Mako Sharks, Great White Sharks and Thresher Sharks.read more

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“This is the Galapagos of North America” - Jacques Cousteau