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A view into cities of the Gulf Region of the Sonoran Desert

Isla Coronado:

Islas coronado desde Granjas Familiares La Esperanza - panoramio

Isla Coronado, also known as “Smith Island” on some maps, is just off the eastern shoreline of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, near Bahía de Los Ángeles, in the Gulf of California. The island is approximately 7 kilometers long, and it is dominated by a volcano on its northern end.

Biodiversity:

The island has seven species of reptiles: Aspidoscelis tigris (tiger whiptail), Callisaurus draconoides (zebra-tailed lizard), Crotalus mitchellii (speckled rattlesnake), Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha (coast night snake), Phyllodactylus nocticolus (peninsular leaf-toed gecko), Sauromalus hispidus (spiny chuckwalla), and Uta stansburiana (common side-blotched lizard).

Geology/Climate:

Volcán Coronado is a small stratovolcano at the northern tip of Coronado Island, 3 km off the eastern coast of Baja California in the Canal de los Ballenas. The roughly 440-m-high volcano forms a 2-km-wide peninsula at the northern end of the elongated NNW-SSE-trending island and contains a 300 x 160 m wide crater. The age of the most recent eruptive activity from Volcán Coronado is not known, although fumarolic activity was reported in September 1539 (Medina et al., 1989).

Land/Water Use and Opportunities/Threats:

Today, the uninhabited island is a refuge with a rich marine assemblage, especially when compared to other, unprotected parts of the Gulf. This image provides hints of the diverse marine environment around the island. Most of the coast is steep and rocky, but lighter blue lagoons, especially along the western coast, provide shallower, protected environments that are biologically robust. Offshore, internal waves and complex surface currents facilitate the mixing of the water, important for nutrient delivery to the coastal environments. These water patterns are outlined by sunglint (light reflecting off of the water surface back towards the camera onboard the International Space Station). The sunglint patterns are due to wind and currents, which roughen the water surface and enhance reflection, and surfactants that decrease the surface tension and roughness, resulting in regions of dark, smooth water.

Tiburón Island:

Isla Tiburon island

Tiburón Island is the largest island in the Gulf of California and the largest island in Mexico, with an area of 1,201 square kilometres (464 sq mi). It was made a nature reserve in 1963 by President Adolfo López Mateos.

Biodiversity:

Bighorn sheep were introduced to the island in the 1980s; hunting is managed by the tribal government in coordination with Mexican federal authorities. It is also home to a subspecies of coyote (Canis latrans jamesi) that is found nowhere but the island.

Geology/Climate:

The island can be reached from Punta Chueca, which is the nearest community inhabited by members of the Seri tribe, and from Bahía de Kino, a non-Seri community 34 kilometres (21 miles) to the south. The distance from Punta Chueca to Punta Tormenta, the nearest point on the island, is 3 kilometres (1.9 miles). The channel between the mainland and the island is called Canal del Infiernillo ("Tiny Hell's Channel"), because of the strong tidal currents and shoal water that occur there which can make navigation challenging. The island has a prominent mountain system of volcanic origin.

Land/Water Use and Opportunities/Threats:

Tiburón Island is part of the traditional homeland of some bands (or clans) of the Seri people, probably for many centuries if not millennia. During the 1960s and early 1970s, a small hunting and fishing camp on the northern end of the island was operated by Jesus Olivas, a resident of Hermosillo. He constructed several buildings, a dock, and an airstrip near the historic Seri encampment at Tecomate. The camp was popular with American visitors to the area. The remains of the structures and airstrip are still in place (although the airstrip was rendered unusable by the Mexican military around 1995 in an attempt to keep it from being used by smugglers who were active in the area at the time). In 1975, the Mexican government, through a decree by President Echeverría, gave the Seri recognition and title of communal property ("reconocimiento y titulación de terrenos comunales") with respect to Tiburón Island.The island is uninhabited (except for Mexican military encampments on the eastern and southern shores of the island) and is administered as an ecological preserve by the Seri tribal government in conjunction with the federal government.

Guaymas:

Guaymas-Sonora

Guaymas is a city in Guaymas Municipality, in the southwest part of the state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico. The city is 134 km south of the state capital of Hermosillo, and 389 kilometres (242 mi) from the U.S. border. The municipality is located on the Gulf of California and the western edge of the Sonoran Desert. The municipality's formal name is Guaymas de Zaragoza and the city's formal name is the Heróica Ciudad de Guaymas. The city proper is mostly an industrial port and is the principal port for the state of Sonora.

Biodiversity:

Guaymas has become more of a tourist attraction and less of a home for wild species. In livestock activity, cattle ranching with 72,875 heads is the most important, following the exploitation of goats with 20,088 bellies, birds, and other minor species.

Geology/Climate:

Guaymas has a desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh), with hot summers and warm winters. The municipality is located on the Gulf of California and the western edge of the Sonoran Desert and has a hot, dry climate and 117 km of beaches.

Land/Water Use:

The irrigation infrastructure for agriculture in addition to the 186 wells, has the Ignacio Alatorre Dam that is located in the Guaymas Valley with a total capacity of 27 million 700 thousand cubic meters; and the heated water repressive in Vícam with an extraction capacity of 15 million 300 thousand cubic meters of water and 345 kilometers of coated conduction channels. Agriculture in the municipality takes place on a total area of 42,291 hectares of which 22,000 hectares are located in the Yaquis communities and the Guaymas valley has 17,296 hectares of irrigation and 2,995 hectares of moisture or temporary. The main crops are: wheat, soybeans, safflower, corn, cotton and some vegetables and fruit such as pumpkin and papaya

Opportunities/Threats:

Guaymense fishing occupies 11,800 people in the catch and another 325 are engaged in aquaculture. It contributes 70% of the total state fisheries production, with the main species caught, sardine, shrimp, and squid. It has 175 kilometers of coastline where important bays such as Guaymas, Lobos, San Carlos (Mexico), and the Herradura are formed. The municipality has more than 83% of the docks operating in the State. The fleet consists of 359 shrimp vessels, 32 sardineras, 3 escameras and 910 smaller vessels, for a total of 1,304. 55% of catches are traded in the State and the rest, i.e. 45% has as its final destination the domestic market and the foreign market, to the latter, is mainly sent shrimp that has a high price in the international market, which makes guaymense fishing very dependent on the conditions of this market. The population of fishermen in coastal communities has its ancestry by 80% in the same region where the community is located; the rest comes from other localities of the state and about 5 percent from other states, particularly Sinaloa and Nayarit. Today fishing has ceased to be considered the main activity generating employment and providing good economic resources to the majority of the Guaymense population, due to lack of interest and investment of the government, in turn, the arrival of maquiladora plants have seized the high demand for jobs by hiring cheap labor.

Bahía Kino:

Sonoran desert at Bahia Kino

Bahía Kino is a beachside town on a secluded bay on the Sea of Cortez 117 Kms West of Hermosillo in the State of Sonora. Known as Hermosillo’s beach, Bahía Kino was named after Padre Kino, the benevolent Jesuit priest who rode horseback throughout many parts of Western Mexico and the US establishing Missions. Arriving from Italy in 1681, he soon established more than 20 missions in the region as well as created many of the first maps of the areas. The names Bahía de Kino, Bahía Kino, and Kino Bay are used interchangeably.

Biodiversity:

Many birds nest in Bahía de Kino during the spring and summer. Birds often encountered include: Brown Booby, Blue-footed Booby, Frigate Birds, Brown Pelican, and Orioles. Alcatraz Island is protected and it is against the law to set foot there due to the unique population of birds, which is continually being monitored and studied. You can most effectively view the bird population from a boat. During the nesting season, especially, please be careful to avoid disrupting the birds.

Geology/Climate:

Bahia de Kino's sandy beach is one of the town's attractions. The beach is easily accessed every block via public access ways. To the south of town is the Santa Cruz estuary/lagoon then the coastline veers to the west to Punta San Nicolas. To the northwest of town, the coast is an interesting mix of rocky headlands and sand/gravel coves. Views of Isla Tiburon to the west abound. Interesting peaks with magnificent views all the way across to Baja dominate the landscape to the east and north. To the south flat desert scrubland continues all the way southeast to Estero Tastiota about 64 km (40 miles) away. Bahía de Kino has a desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh). Bahía de Kino is part of the Sonoran desert. Winter temperatures are pleasant though winds from the north can make things feel chilly. Strong winter winds can be a concern in December, January, and February. Mid-October to mid-November as well as March and April are ideal times of year to visit. Summer - July, August, September - is hot and surprisingly humid.

Land/Water Use:

The establishment of the local Distrito de Colonización Presidente Miguel Alemán between Hermosillo and Bahia de Kino coupled with the recent availability of subterranean water pumping technology allowed for large scale, regional agrarian development. The late 1930s saw the rapid development of the shark fishery that supplied shark liver oil to the U.S. for use in the production of vitamin A supplements. The mid-1940s marked the beginning of the industrial shrimp fishery in the Gulf of California. The 1960s witnessed the early development of the scallop (“callos” in Spanish) fishery in the bay. Trapping for crab (Callinectes bellicosus) became an important addition to Kino fishing effort starting about 1990 (Weaver et al. 2003). It is unclear if Kineño fishers had utilized benthic trapping technology prior to the development of the crab fishery.

Opportunities/Threats:

The 1970s saw a dramatic increase in the population of Bahia de Kino during which the town grew from just a few hundred residents to several thousand. Most of the new residents were immigrants to the region, some from as far south as Michoacán, other from the deserts of Chihuahua and Coahuila. Most had little fishing or boating experience, the developing fishery offered steady employment at a time when many of Mexico's rural ejidos or cooperative farming and ranching communities were suffering economic setbacks and low productivity (Simon 1997). In 1975, the Mexican government placed a ban on totoaba fishing – the fishery had been decimated, primarily due to over-fishing at spawning grounds at the mouth of the Colorado River (Bahre & Bourillon 2002). In the late 1970s a plan was proposed to build a marina and marine service center in the nearby Laguna Santa Cruz. A dock and ramp were constructed, a trailerpark developed and a channel dredged through the barrier bars across the mouth of the laguna. The project is said to have bankrupted itself. Remains of the dredge are still visible in the laguna. The dredged channel is still usable by vessels drawing less than 1.5 meters but local knowledge is essential for entry as there are no aids to navigation associated with the canal. In 2006, a plan for development of a marina in Kino Bay was approved by the state governor's office. The location was centered on the existing ramp facilities north of Kino Nuevo. Little development of this plan has occurred however. The ramps have been rebuilt several times after sustaining damage from hurricanes over the years.

Loreto:

El océano entre montañas(Loreto)

Loreto (or Conchó) is considered to be the first human settlement in Baja California Sur. It is now a resort town and municipal seat of Loreto Municipality, located on the Gulf of California in eastern Baja California Sur state, Mexico. In 2019, the city of 20,385 inhabitants is located about 350 km (220 mi) north of La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur state.

Biodiversity:

Loreto's waters are home to species like snapper and seabass, which are found all year long. Thanks to this abundance, Loreto has been home of several IGFA records.The two “foundations” of Loreto's sport fishing are the “dorado” and the “yellow tail” (Seriola lalandi dorsalis). The dorado is the emblematic species of Loreto's warm waters, its season beginning in late May, peaking from July to September, and ending in November, with two important tournaments, in July and September. The yellow tail is one of the strongest species; its season begins in November, peaks from March to April, and comes to an end in late May. The whales start to show up in January and stay for a few months. You can see blue whales, humpback whales, and even orcas in Loreto Bay, but the most popular whale watching tours here are for the famous blue whales.

Geology/Climate:

Loreto's climate is hot and humid, with abundant sunshine (desert with some rainfall in summer). The median temperature is 24.4 °C (76 °F). The temperatures are hot from June through October. These summer days have highs around 34 °C (93 °F) and high humidity. According to the National Meteorological Service, Loreto's highest official temperature reading of 44.2 °C (112 °F) was recorded on July 2, 2006; the lowest temperature ever recorded was 0.0 °C (32 °F) on December 15, 1987. In the spring season, the temperatures are moderate and temperate. Autumn and winter months are usually windy. The city is built on relatively flat land with an average elevation is 10 meters (33 ft) above sea level. “La Giganta” Mountain Range (“Sierra de la Giganta”) lies to the west, extending along the center of the state of Baja California Sur, parallel to the gulf coast. The geology and topography of the Loreto region, extending from Bahía Concepción to Agua Verde, is a coastal belt consisting "mainly of a narrow belt of ridges, valleys, and pediments adjacent to the escarpment, low- to moderate-elevation ranges transverse to the coast, and narrow coastal plains”.

Land/Water Use:

Loreto has a reputation as an excellent sport fishing location. This is its main tourist attraction, as well as the main source of employment in the area, thus linking Loreto's economy closely to fishing. There are two well-defined fishing seasons: summer features “dorado” and species like marlin (black marlin, Atlantic blue marlin, striped marlin) and sailfish, which are ideal for fly fishing; winter fishing features “yellow tail” (jurel) and other species that usually are deep in the sea rocks.

Opportunities/Threats:

The city is a tourist resort, catering mostly to American travelers, with daily flights from California to Loreto International Airport. Many American tourists enjoy fishing in "pangas" for "dorado" (Mahi-mahi or Dolphin Fish). Local restaurants willingly prepare the daily catch of the tourists. Loreto has a museum that coexists alongside the historic, but still active, parish. Loreto has active sister city relationships with the California cities of Hermosa Beach, Cerritos, and Ventura.

Google tour:

For a further look into more cities located in the Gulf Region of the Sonoran Desert please visit for a virtual tour: https://tourbuilder.withgoogle.com/tour/ahJzfmd3ZWItdG91cmJ1aWxkZXJyEQsSBFRvdXIYgIDgmOP-9gkM