Zach Plopper: Laguna San Ignacio, Baja
Fortunately, my work as WiLDCOAST’s Wildlands Conservation Program Coordinator (it is a mouthful) takes me to some of the best waves on the continent. It’s easy to forget I am working when our morning site-surveys become afternoon barrel-fest marathons sessions at the sandy bottom right hand point breaks we are conserving. When winter rolls around I got all of the arvo low-tides marked on my calendar and wait for an “appropriate” time to roll south. But, my job doesn’t always entail Mexican Snapper Rocks. I do spend quite a few days behind the desk and sometimes it requires me to endure endless meetings, conferences and trips to more landlocked locales. Eventually, on the clock tube time always rolls around though and the dry-time becomes worth it.
The most arduous work trips are when I am in spitting distance from my beloved hollow nooks and time and/or purpose prevents indulgence. I know just over the hills or across the salt flats or even right in front of my eyes aquatic diversion lures but for whatever reason I cannot partake. I encountered this dilemma on last week’s Baja transect mission. I was only 30 miles as the crow flies from the exquisite waves of Abreojos but an endless expanse of shallow lagoon, dunes and scorched desert made for a three hour trip to get there. Although dust and sweat added grimy layers to my skin each day without my usual salt water rinse, I managed to turn off the surf switch and enjoy other aspects of the peninsula.
Last week marked the 10 year anniversary of the cancellation of the Mitsubishi salt works project that would have forever destroyed the world’s last pristine gray whale breeding ground at Laguna San Ignacio in Baja California Sur. WiLDCOAST ED Serge Dedina, Mexico’s QUO magazine editor Ivan Carrillo, CNN camera man Rafa Delgado, and myself were there to participate in the celebration and do some stories for Mexican media outlets.
The lagoon is an immense body of water connected to the sea by narrow mouths where the whales enter to birth their calves every February through April. The fact that the whales migrate thousands of miles down the west coast of North America every year to this strange bay is mind boggling. Did one of them long ago bring news home of a killer spring break spot to escape the Alaskan winter chill? Were their primordial predecessors paying annual visits to the lagoon millions of year ago?
How they found this place is curious, why they keep coming back is not. Its vastness, placid waters and pristine shoreline make it seem that it is exists for them. Had the mega-project gone in, this place would no longer serve nature’s intended purpose. WiLDCOAST was involved with the fight since it began some 20 years ago. Serge wrote his dissertation on whale conservation in the lagoon, leading to his first book Saving the Gray Whale, and discovered the plan to convert the lagoon into the world’s largest salt extraction site. Joining the campaign was the Natural Resources Defense Council, Pierce Brosnan, Bobby Kennedy Jr., local communities and a slew of enviro-groups, Nobel Laureates, scientists and whale enthusiasts. President Zedillo eventually spoke the last word and ended the proposal, though he said not because it would affect the whales.
Most of the celebrators flew the 475 miles to Laguna San Ignacio but in true WiLDCOAST fashion, we packed our Baja rig and hit the pavement for about 40 hours of total drive time. That allowed us to visit the sites that we usually blaze by for perfect surf – ancient cave drawings, nearly extinct pronghorn sheep colonies (who live their entire lives without a lick of water), Franciscan missions and of course the whales. Although I itched for surf, I enjoyed the other attractions I have neglected for so many years. On our limp back up the peninsula toward civilization, we stopped off at one of our more dependable points for a quick surf. The wind was up and swell was down (which apparently pumped all week and was to return the following day). Nonetheless we got a few waves and quickly washed away the past six days dry docked. If you ever get a chance or the will power to enjoy the Baja California Peninsula’s non-tubing attractions it is well worth the effort. And unlike the region’s hidden points, I’ll tell you exactly where to go.
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