Baja Mexico Nick Carrellas, Nat Cooper, Hank Wyman

-Baja California is found between two of the most biologically diverse bodies of water on the planet in the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. -Mexico is the world’s sixth largest global fish producer. -The Pacific Coast Mexico is one of Japan’s biggest importers of tuna. -Sea of Cortez reaches depths of 14,000 feet, and boasts a wide range of marine habitats -Targeted fish species include marlin, sailfish, swordfish, dorado, tuna and wahoo. -Cabo San Lucas has been coined the “Marlin Capital of the World.” -Overfishing, indiscriminate trawling, and widespread poaching are, however, threatening many fish and shark species. -The Mexican government is making an attempt to subsidize the shift from commercial longlining to sportfishing, which is more sustainable economically.

-Weather is mild, sunny and dry most of the year, hot and sometimes stormy in the summer. -Baja extends south from latitude of approximately 40 degrees north to latitude of approximately 20 degrees north. This is important to note because 30 degrees north is an area of divergence due to the opposite direction of trade winds and westerlies. This causes the central part of the peninsula to be an arid desert, consistent with other deserts at similar latitudes across the world. -Winters are sunny and mild, as the summer moisture is dried and skies are mostly clear. Daytime high temperatures are usually in the 70s (F). Nights range in the 50’s and 60’s. Mid-winter nights can sometimes drop into the 40’s and rarely, even into the 30s. Freezing is unknown at the beach, but frosty nights can be commonplace in the mountains. -The northern and southern ends of Baja receive the only substantial precipitation. However, the two regions receive rain for different reasons. Regular precipitation in the north is caused by the Mediterranean climate. In the south, precipitation comes from the North American monsoon. -August and September are the peak of hurricane season, as well as the middle of the “rainy” season, although they combine for less than three inches of rain on average. -Autumn brings cooler nights and less humidity.

The first humans came to the Baja peninsula at least 11,000 years, most likely following the Pacific coast south from Alaska.

-In the winter, the prevailing westerlies bring cool, dry Pacific air from the west and north. -In the summer, the trade winds shift and carry storms and moisture from the south and east. -Time of day also affects wind direction: dry desert breezes are common at night, when warm air rising above the ocean draws cool air from the land. Moist sea breezes prevail when the desert heats up during the day, causing air above the land to rise and draw onshore flow.

In 1972 by a group of businessmen started a tradition of bringing families together for recreation. It was, at the same time, an exhibition that advertised advances in agriculture, industry and commerce. In its first year the main event was cockfighting, but since then has expanded to the arts, and is today a site for elaborate artistic displays and a notorious music concert. The fair receives its name from the importance of the sun in the Baja Mexicali way of life.

Fiestas del Sol

In southern Baja, nearly all freshwater used for drinking and irrigation comes from underground aquifers. These underground sites are typically close to the ocean, and if climate change causes the polar caps to melt and sea levels to rise, the underground boundary between fresh and salt water will most certainly move inland, robbing many communities of their most precious commodity. The chart at the right is from precipitation records between 1941 and 2005.

The Sonoran Desert covers most of the Baja peninsula except for the two rainy ends. The iconic Saguaro Cactus in unique to the Sonoran desert. Near the border of the two Baja states, the dry Vizcaino sub-region contains the largest wildlife reserve in Latin America.

Climate Change

The Baja Mexico peninsula is part of the Sonoran desert region. In addition to the chaparral, there are also such biomes present as thornscrub and tropical forest. Desert conditions make agriculture and the sale of livestock difficult in many areas. For this reason, many look to the sea for sustenance, just as the earliest inhabits (the Cochimi, Guaycura, and Pericu tribes) did 9,000 to 10,000 years ago.

The Pacific coast of Baja is one of the most diverse oceanic regions in the world, due to a combination of unique currents and winds. In late fall and early winter, northeast Santa Ana winds push warm surface waters out to sea, which are then replaced by cool, nutrient rich water. This “coastal upwelling” supports seaweed growth and phytoplankton blooms, which attract countless species of fish and whales.

Despite Baja’s reputation as an arid desert, certain areas of the peninsula have climates with more moisture and cooler temperatures. The Valle de Guadalupe, located in a Mediterranean ecoregion in the northwest corner of Baja, has the perfect microclimate in which to produce wine. Despite the fact that almost 100% of commercial winegrapes are grown between 35 and 40 degrees latitude, Valle de Guadalupe produces amazing wines at 32 degrees north. Local climatic features offset the warmer weather closer to the equator. While the summers become scorching hot in other parts of Baja, Valle de Guadalupe remains cool due to coastal upwelling. Winegrapes grow best in wet winters and cool, dry summers, the definition of a Mediterranean climate zone. Jesuit priests first took advantage of the microclimate in 1791 when they produced the earliest Baja wine. More recently, the Valle de Guadalupe and its microclimate have been favorably compared with renowned locations like Napa Valley and the Rhone Valley.

Ocean Surface Current Temperatures

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