How Seacology helped preserve a pristine beach in Mexico
Our first-ever international kayaking expedition showcases the impact of improved sanitation on Isla Coronado
By Max Rojas-Domke
Part of Seacology’s magic has always been our travel program. A Seacology expedition offers our supporters the chance to visit our projects, meet our local partners, and see the creatures and ecosystems that we’ve protected together.
Typically, these trips have an eco-lodge as a homebase, with our adventurers exploring the surrounding environment and visiting nearby Seacology projects over the course of about a week. We incorporate opportunities to hike, scuba dive, and otherwise sustainably enjoy the unique island environments around us. On our most recent trip to Mexico, we wanted our guests to become even more immersed in nature.
Partnering with the incredible and locally based kayak ecotourism company Paddling South, Seacology hosted our first-ever international kayaking expedition. As part of this inaugural journey across the Sea of Cortez, we saw up-close how a recent Seacology project on Coronado Island is helping protect a beautiful and popular beach from the impacts of tourism.
Starting a couple of hours north of Loreto, our group of about a dozen adventurers spent the week paddling down part of Baja California Sur’s east coast. Every day included a few hours of kayaking, with breaks for sightseeing, snorkeling, hiking, and relaxing on beaches. We enjoyed daily sightings of whales, dolphins, pelicans, and more fish than we could count as we navigated the body of water once appropriately described as the “aquarium of the world” by Jaques Cousteau.
Our adventurers paddle out to the sea near Loreto.
Our trip partners at Paddling South provided full-service campsites.
On the penultimate day of the trip, our group paddled up to Isla Coronado to meet our local project partners to see how simple interventions can effectively protect a fragile island ecosystem from being loved to death.
Gulls announced our arrival on Ensenada Blanca Beach as bait fish darted through the turquoise waters. Isla Coronado is one of Baja California Sur’s main tourist destinations, welcoming more than 300,000 guests annually, and Ensenada Blanca is the island’s most popular beach. Its appearance is a matter of pride for locals, but as we learned from our guides, just a few years ago the beach’s white sands were polluted year-round with human waste and littered with garbage due to the lack of proper sanitation facilities. This was endangering wildlife, affecting water quality, and risking the health of visitors. Ultimately, it was also hurting the prospects for future tourism in the area.
Working with local tour operators and CONANP, Mexico’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas, Seacology funded the beach’s first composting bathrooms in 2021. As part of the project, about 100 tour groups pay a small fee to access the island annually. Their guests then have free use of the new bathrooms. Sawdust is supplied to eliminate odors, with organizations on the mainland regularly reclaiming the waste to be used as fertilizer.
Our happy campers pulled up on shore throughout the trip to explore the area's stunning landscapes.
Ensenada Blanca is a picturesque narrow white sand beach on Isla Coronado's southern coast.
From left, Max Rojas-Domke, Field Representative Marisol Rueda Flores, a representative of CONANP, and Seacology Board Treasurer Scott Wilson in front of the new bathroom block.
The bathroom's composting toilets have reduced waste on the beach and improved local water quality. The waste is repurposed as fertilizer by an organization on the mainland.
Our partnership had helped make possible the sustainable reality we were now looking at. The bathrooms were clean and clearly well respected, with the coastline around them mirroring this appreciation. We spent the day swimming, snorkeling, and doing our part to support future fertilization efforts before paddling back out to sea for the final day of our journey. While not the flashiest project, these improvements requested by the local community are making a huge positive impact on Isla Coronado’s environment and economy.
Want to join us on a future expedition? Keep an eye on our travel page and subscribe to email updates to be notified when we announce future trips. We hope to see you out on the water soon!
Max Rojas-Domke is Seacology’s individual giving manager.