Our grandparents were pearl divers who taught us the art of fishing. We grew up in this place and learned to make a living from the sea. For a long time, we fished sharks and other large fish and turtles. Big mountains of shells accumulated around Cabo Pulmo, and eating turtle became part of our culture.

As time passed and fishing was increasingly more difficult, the sea did not provide as many fish and it was necessary to venture further out to sea. Meanwhile the number of visitors to the reef, the beautiful garden sitting opposite our fishing area, significantly increased. As we set further out to sea, we realized that our anchors had damaged the coral in this area.

Scientific friends from the Autonomous University of Baja California Sur advised us about the ecological importance of Cabo Pulmo. We organized the community and asked the government to create a natural protected area to protect it from over-fishing. As a result, a marine reserve was created on June 6, 1995. Ten years later, UNESCO recognized it as a World Heritage Site, and in 2008 Cabo Pulmo was designated as a Ramsar wetland site of international importance.

With each passing day, Cabo Pulmo is writing its history.