San Pedro Martir Island Photos

Isla San Pedro Martir at sunset with extensive forest of Cardon Cactus seen on the summit ridge of the island, aerial photo, Sea of Cortez, Mexico. San Pedro Martir Island and its marine life are, since 2002, part of the San Pedro Martir Biosphere Reserve, and is regarded as a natural laboratory of adaptive evolution, similar to that of the Galapagos Islands. It is home to 292 species of fauna and flora (both land-based and aquatic), with 42 species protected by Mexican law, and 30 listed on the Red List of Threatened Species. San Pedro Martir is also unique in the area for its year-round quantity of birds. The island is the only island in the area with a perpetually swirling cloud of sea birds. This is because the water around the island, has some of the most successful marine productivity in the world.
Species: Cardon cactus, Elephant cactus, Pachycereus pringlei
Location: Isla San Pedro Martir, Sonora, Mexico
Image ID: 40398  

Extensive Forest of Cardon Cactus on the Summit Ridge of San Pedro Martir Island, Sea of Cortez, Mexico. The island and its marine life are, since 2002, part of the San Pedro Martir Biosphere Reserve, and is regarded as a natural laboratory of adaptive evolution, similar to that of the Galapagos Islands. It is home to 292 species of fauna and flora (both land-based and aquatic), with 42 species protected by Mexican law, and 30 listed on the Red List of Threatened Species. San Pedro Martir is also unique in the area for its year-round quantity of birds. The island is the only island in the area with a perpetually swirling cloud of sea birds. This is because the water around the island, has some of the most successful marine productivity in the world.
Location: Isla San Pedro Martir, Sonora, Mexico
Image ID: 40386  
Panorama dimensions: 3391 x 10022

Rugged Terrain of Isla San Pedro Martir, Sea of Cortez. Aerial photo. The large bird population deposits enormous quantities of guano on the island, resulting in the white appearance of the island contrasted with sparse vegetation. In the late 19th and early 20th century guano was heavily mined off the island and shipped as far as Europe for use as fertilizer. San Pedro Martir is seldom visited, having near vertical sides leaving only questionable fair weather anchorages in two locations. Landing access was possible near a small isthmus in the southeast of the island, but is now forbidden. In 2005, the island was classified along with 244 others as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and included in the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California.
Location: Isla San Pedro Martir, Sonora, Mexico
Image ID: 40421  
Panorama dimensions: 4451 x 10130