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Let's Go2Vallarta - Articles Las Marietas - Biosphere Reserve Part II
In order to obtain some of this information I interviewed my very good friend and tourist guide specialized in bird and whale watching, Gerardo Hernández Vázquez, who through the last 25 years, thanks to his professional activity, has been visiting the Marietas Islands making trips with the purpose of observing birds and adding the result of his observations to his personal research work, which I must point out is of great quality and has allowed him to be singled out and invited to specialization workshops, and recently, to present part of his observations and conclusions before colleagues and guides from all over the nation. To begin with —Gerardo Hernández told me— it is important that the world knows that Las Marietas is a zone of vital importance in our country. It is a nesting, rearing, shelter and feeding site for various species of marine birds. Las Marietas house the largest nesting colonies in Mexico of Brown Booby [Sula leucogaster] with 30,500 individuals; Bridled Tern [Sterna anaethetus] with 300 individuals; Brown Noddy [Anous stolidus] with 520 individuals; and Laughing Gull [Larus atricilla] with 5,000 individuals. Gerardo made clear to us that this data is the result of research done by Gaviño y Uribe & Rebón in 1999, who also tell us that there are other species —though not holding large amounts of individuals— still of great relevance to be mentioned as the Blue-Foot Booby [Sula nebouxii], Magnificent Frigatebird [Fregata magnificens], Brown Pelican [Pelecanus occidentalis], Brandt’s Cormorant [Phalacrocorax penicillatus]; Heermann’s Gull [Larus heermanni]; and Royal Tern [Sterna maxima].
Las Marietas represent the geographic limits and zones of reproduction distribution enlargement for species nesting in the nearctic ecozone[1] like: Brandt’s Cormorant, Heermann’s Gull and the Royal Tern, as well as for species nesting in the neotropic ecozone[2] like the Bridled Tern and the Brown Noddy. Las Marietas happen to be located in a transition point between the two zones, giving this area of western Mexico an unmatched worldwide uniqueness. Up until 1999 and according to a study carried out by the National University of Mexico (UNAM), 94 species of birds had been reported, out of which 4 were considered endangered and 5 in the category of special protection. These categories depend on the level of danger of extinction.
Gerardo assured us that based on his own experience, Las Marietas is also a magnificent scuba diving site since, as we mentioned on the first article of this series, its rocky constitution and submarine components; marine life in the islands is also abundant. In addition to the bird species mentioned, there are 115 fish species; 11 reptile species; 74 invertebrates; and 25 terrestrial plants. Las Marietas are a protected area and it is vital for us all to learn —among other things we will share with you in future articles— that birds make their nests on the islands surface, therefore there are laws preventing people on boat tours from disembarking on the islands. It is a priority that all; authorities, researchers, guides, tour services operators, tourists and the general public abide by the rules and contribute to the islands preservation. Some day our future generations will thank us for it.
The Marietas Islands are located in the Bay of Banderas in waters under federal jurisdiction, near the Nayarit State coast, about four miles south-west of the peninsula known as Punta de Mita, Municipality of Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit. The can only be accessed by sea, from any point of the bay, out of which the main ones are: Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco; and in Nayarit: Nuevo Vallarta, Nuevo Corral del Risco and La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. Approximate distances in miles to nearby ports:
The following are some of the people whom we thank and recognize for their participation and commitment, deliverance, work and effort:
We wish to clarify that according to biologist Amilcar, there are many more persons who participated in the various activities towards today’s achievement, people whose names are unfortunately presently not available to us, but whom we must thank and recognize for their great contribution. To all of you, wherever you are, thank you, thank you very much. Until next time and God bless you all, Jesús de Avila. |
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