Cabo Pulmo is not just a place, it's an example. A success story in marine conservation led by its community.

Cabo Pulmo is not just a place, it's an example. A success story in marine conservation led by its community. https://www.greenpeace.org/mexico/campanas/cabo-pulmo/ And today, it is under threat once again.

What is Cabo Pulmo? Located in Baja California Sur, Cabo Pulmo is a National Park and Protected Natural Area that is home to the largest coral reef in the Gulf of California. It is home to iconic species such as whale sharks, humpback whales, sea turtles, and manta rays. Its richness is not limited to the sea: the lands surrounding the park are home to more than 392 plant species, 44 mammals, 29 reptiles, and 95 birds. Years ago, the community of Cabo Pulmo made a courageous decision: to shift from fishing to ecotourism as a way of life, in order to conserve their ecosystem and protect it from overexploitation. Today, it is a global example of conservation. But paradise is under threat. For more than a decade, Cabo Pulmo has faced constant pressure from predatory tourism projects and real estate developments seeking to urbanize areas near the park. Today, two new megaprojects threaten to destroy what the community has protected: La Abundancia and Baja Bay Club. Together, they encompass nearly 700 hectares, with plans that include hotels, villas, boat infrastructure, golf courses, and beach clubs, in areas adjacent to or within the Cabo Pulmo ecosystem. What is at risk? Destruction of unique habitats Water and soil pollution Loss of biodiversity and microendemic species Risk to endangered species, such as sea turtles Oceans Action at Mexico's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat). © Prometeo Lucero / Greenpeace How have we resisted? In 2010, we stood with the community in their fight against the Cabo Cortés megaproject, which aimed to build 27,000 hotel rooms near the park. More than 220,000 people signed the petition, and we succeeded in stopping it! Today, La Abundancia and Baja Bay Club are trying to occupy that same space. But we are not standing idly by. What are we doing? Since 2024, we have: Publicly denounced both projects. Provided legal support to the community in filing appeals. Demanded transparency from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) and respect for the warning issued by the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), which declared that these projects are incompatible with the conservation of Cabo Pulmo. Thanks to citizen and legal pressure, in January 2025, a temporary suspension of both projects was achieved. Protest for the Protection of Cabo Pulmo National Park in Mexico. © Gustavo Graf / Greenpeace A provisional victory, but not yet a definitive one. The suspension is a great step, but not enough. We demand the complete revocation of the environmental impact authorizations so that these projects can never be carried out again. What can you do? Activists from Greenpeace Mexico and Cabo Pulmo Vivo displayed the message "Save Cabo Pulmo!" inside a giant lifebuoy to demand the revocation of the predatory Cabo Cortés tourism project that threatens the Cabo Pulmo marine reserve in Baja California Sur. Raise your voice. Sign the petition to protect Cabo Pulmo and demand that Semarnat (the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources) definitively revoke the permits. Sign the petition now. Outside Semarnat, Greenpeace activists unfurled a 30 m² banner with the message: "Semarnat Cancel Cabo Cortés Now!" Activists are demanding a halt to the development of Cabo Cortés, a Spanish-owned resort complex in the Gulf of Mexico, near Cabo Pulmo, the most important coral reef in the Eastern Pacific. This marine reserve has been declared a site of universal interest by UNESCO.