Vizcaino

The Vizcaino region is located in the central part of the Baja California peninsula in the Sebastian Volcano region, in between the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean. The area is a mix of desert biomes, coastal lagoons, and marine ecosystems. In the Vizcaino, rain is so scarce that the plants have adapted to absorb moisture from the fog off the Pacific Ocean. Key plants in the region include the cardon cactus and the boojum tree. The Vizcaino is home to bighorn sheep, rare desert pronghorn, and grey whales. The grey whale is a defining species of the region that is at risk due to whalers, often from Japan. In response, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve was created. It is a 55,000 mile area created to help protect the grey whales along with many marine birds, some of which are near extinction. The region has also been threatened by illegal hunting, overexploitation of species, expansion of agriculture, ranching, water and soil pollution, illegal wildlife trafficking, and mining.