Baja California

Baja California Peninsula in Northwestern Mexico separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California (or “Sea of Cortez)”). The peninsula extends 1,247 km (775 miles) from Mexicali in the north to Cabo San Lucas in the south. It ranges from 40 km (25 miles) at its narrowest to 320 km (200 miles) at its widest point and has approximately 3,000 km (1,900 miles) of coastline and approximately 65 islands.There are four main desert areas on the peninsula: the San Felipe Desert, the Central Coast Desert, the Vizcaíno Desert and the Magdalena Plain Desert. The narrow Sea of California is home to a unique ecosystem hosting many migratory species, such as the humpback whale, California gray whale, killer whale, manta ray, Humboldt squid and leatherback sea turtle, and the world’s largest animal, the blue whale. The unusual resident populations of fin whales and sperm whales do not migrate annually.The sea also includes endemic species such as the critically endangered tiny vaquita (aka “desert porpoise”)