El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve

🇲🇽 Mexico

🐋 Gray Whale Lagoons

⏱ 2–3 days 🥾 Easy trails

🌍 #147 Global · 3.8 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #13 in North America #8 in Desert & Scrub

Baja California Sur, Mexico 682 spp. recorded

El Vizcaíno is desert wrapped around two shallow lagoons where gray whales come to calve, and in winter the whales are the reason to be here — recorded on 95% of February trips.

27.400° N 113.505° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Gray Whale

Eschrichtius robustus

60–70% · Likely

California Sea Lion

Zalophus californianus

30–40% · Possible

Coyote

Canis latrans

40–50% · Likely

Red Diamond Rattlesnake

Crotalus ruber

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

60–70% · Likely

Western Gull

Larus occidentalis

60–70% · Likely

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

60–70% · Likely

Double-crested Cormorant

Phalacrocorax auritus

50–60% · Likely

Brown Pelican

Pelecanus occidentalis

50–60% · Likely

Great Egret

Ardea alba

50–60% · Likely

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

50–60% · Likely

Willet

Tringa semipalmata

50–60% · Likely

Snowy Egret

Egretta thula

40–50% · Likely

Reddish Egret

Egretta rufescens

40–50% · Likely

Northern Mockingbird

Mimus polyglottos

40–50% · Likely

Little Blue Heron

Egretta caerulea

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Gray Whale

Eschrichtius robustus

60–70% · Likely

California Sea Lion

Zalophus californianus

30–40% · Possible

Coyote

Canis latrans

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

Lepus californicus

30–40% · Possible

Pronghorn

Antilocapra americana

20–30% · Possible

Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

20–30% · Possible

Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

20–30% · Possible

White-tailed Antelope Squirrel

Ammospermophilus leucurus

20–30% · Possible

Common Raccoon

Procyon lotor

10–20% · Possible

American Badger

Taxidea taxus

10–20% · Possible

California Ground Squirrel

Otospermophilus beecheyi

10–20% · Possible

Desert Cottontail

Sylvilagus audubonii

10–20% · With luck

Ardila De Rocas De Baja California

Otospermophilus atricapillus

10–20% · With luck

Bobcat

Lynx rufus

10–20% · With luck

Harbor Seal

Phoca vitulina

10–20% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

60–70% · Likely

Western Gull

Larus occidentalis

60–70% · Likely

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

60–70% · Likely

Double-crested Cormorant

Phalacrocorax auritus

50–60% · Likely

Brown Pelican

Pelecanus occidentalis

50–60% · Likely

Great Egret

Ardea alba

50–60% · Likely

Great Blue Heron

Ardea herodias

50–60% · Likely

Willet

Tringa semipalmata

50–60% · Likely

Snowy Egret

Egretta thula

40–50% · Likely

Reddish Egret

Egretta rufescens

40–50% · Likely

Northern Mockingbird

Mimus polyglottos

40–50% · Likely

Little Blue Heron

Egretta caerulea

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Red Diamond Rattlesnake

Crotalus ruber

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Zebra-tailed Lizard

Callisaurus draconoides

30–40% · Possible

Common Side-blotched Lizard

Uta stansburiana

30–40% · Possible

Small-scaled Lizard

Urosaurus nigricauda

20–30% · Possible

Western Whiptail

Aspidoscelis tigris

20–30% · Possible

Petrosaurus repens

20–30% · Possible

Cedros Island Horned Lizard

Phrynosoma cerroense

20–30% · Possible

Baja California Spiny Lizard

Sceloporus zosteromus

10–20% · Possible

Desert Iguana

Dipsosaurus dorsalis

10–20% · Possible

Cape Gopher Snake

Pituophis vertebralis

10–20% · Possible

Cope's Leopard Lizard

Gambelia copeii

10–20% · Possible

Baja California Coachwhip

Masticophis fuliginosus

10–20% · Possible

Speckled Rattlesnake

Crotalus mitchellii

10–20% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Red-spotted Toad

Anaxyrus punctatus

20–30% · Possible

Pacific chorus frog

Pseudacris regilla

20–30% · Possible

American Bullfrog

Lithobates catesbeianus

10–20% · With luck

Couch's Spadefoot

Scaphiopus couchii

10–20% · With luck

Animal Events

🐋

Gray Whales in the Lagoons

JanFebMar

Gray whales calve in the shallow lagoons and are recorded on almost every trip out.

Gray Whale

Eschrichtius robustus

60–70% · Likely

🐺

Coyotes and Jackrabbits at Dusk

JunJul

Coyotes hunt the flats at dusk and black-tailed jackrabbits feed on the open ground.

Coyote

Canis latrans

40–50% · Likely

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

Lepus californicus

30–40% · Possible

🦎

Desert Reptiles in the Warm Months

AprMayJunJulAug

Zebra-tailed lizards and red diamond rattlesnakes are active across the open desert.

Zebra-tailed Lizard

Callisaurus draconoides

30–40% · Possible

Red Diamond Rattlesnake

Crotalus ruber

30–40% · Possible

Common Side-blotched Lizard

Uta stansburiana

30–40% · Possible

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

30–40

40–50

40–50

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

80–90

80–90

40–50

10–20

20–30

10–20

20–30

10–20

10–20

20–30

30–40

California Sea Lion

30–40

40–50

40–50

20–30

0–10

30–40

40–50

10–20

20–30

20–30

0–10

20–30

30–40

40–50

40–50

30–40

30–40

60–70

50–60

40–50

50–60

30–40

30–40

50–60

Red Diamond Rattlesnake

30–40

<5

30–40

40–50

20–30

20–30

40–50

30–40

0–10

30–40

20–30

0–10

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

70–80

70–80

60–70

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

40–50

70–80

80–90

70–80

40–50

70–80

80–90

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

50–60

70–80

50–60

60–70

30–40

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

Double-crested Cormorant

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

50–60

40–50

20–30

40–50

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

40–50

30–40

20–30

40–50

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

30–40

60–70

20–30

30–40

40–50

30–40

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

Great Blue Heron

50–60

50–60

30–40

50–60

20–30

50–60

20–30

50–60

50–60

40–50

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

30–40

60–70

30–40

30–40

30–40

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

30–40

50–60

30–40

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

20–30

50–60

20–30

40–50

60–70

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

Northern Mockingbird

20–30

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

30–40

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

Little Blue Heron

50–60

40–50

20–30

50–60

10–20

20–30

30–40

40–50

50–60

40–50

60–70

40–50

Animal Events

🐋 Gray Whales in the Lagoons

🦎 Desert Reptiles in the Warm Months

🐺 Coyotes and Jackrabbits at Dusk

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Excellent

🐋 Gray Whale Lagoons

🦜

Biodiversity

Excellent

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

455

🐒 Mammals

141

🦎 Reptiles

73

🐸 Amphibians

13

682 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

37 Threatened 103 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Very good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.3 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

55%

📊

Coverage (208 species at ≥5% of 682 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

30%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 2 mammal)

47% Global avg

37%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

132

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

8

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

18

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