Rock Figs, Architects of the Desert

Our beautiful land is home of a countless number of plants considered as unique in the World. This is due to the isolation we are found, because even we are part of the continent, life here develops like in an island. One of these wonderful plants is the rock fig or Zalate.

Fig trees or ficus are common residents of the tropical forests; this fact makes the Baja California something unique because it has adapted to live in a dryer climate. This survival is possible since the tree absorbs humidity from the morning dew and the marine breeze. Its pale color helps it to stand the hottest days of midsummer reflecting the solar energy.

During its never ending struggle in search for water, its roots grow in all directions creating fanciful designs and also embrace and break granite blocks, becoming a sanctuary of life itself, because different kinds of animals, like spiders, reptiles and small mammals use the tree as residence.

A bird with multiple personalities

One of the most interesting characters in the animal kingdom is living among us here in Los Cabos. We are talking about a medium-sized raptor with a bold white and black plumage pattern, and a bright yellow face and legs.

This bird, due to the conditions of the ecosystems it inhabits, presents various and unique adaptations. This bird lives solitary or with its mate, who stays loyal for all its life like most falcons and eagles do. It is the only falcon that nests and it usually does this on rocks or small bushes.

It feeds on small rodents, lizards and other birds, but its principal meal comes from carrion. The Crested Caracara, Mexican Eagle or Quelele also plays the role of a buzzard, taking any chance to have a feast on the carcasses of dead animals. This contributes to the cleansing process, which is very important in the desert environment where dryness makes the rotting process impossible. One of its principal adaptations is the lengthening of the legs which allows it to walk or even run, making it unique among all falcons.

The Caracaras were persecuted for a long time, almost to the point of extinction in several states because people used to believe that they stole the calves of cattle. Recently they have become a protected species and some populations are becoming stable again.

So do not lose the chance of exploring all these wonders and remember to keep your eyes open.

The Arch of Stone

We are living one of the greatest adventures on the planet as are all the other inhabitants of this land too. We are sailing away in a northwest direction at 1.6 inches a year on a boat known as The Baja California Peninsula. According to the Continental Drift Theory, the surface (crust) of the planet is divided into many floating pieces (something similar to a soccer ball but with irregular shapes instead of hexagons) that are moving and crashing against each other. We are at the edge of one of these called The Pacific Plate. The rest of México, with the USA and Canada, are on the North American Plate, which is pushing us.

This has been happening for millions of years and it is the reason why the Peninsula and the Gulf were created 6 million years ago. During this time life has adapted and specialized due to climatic changes also. Can you imagine that this place was a tropical forest just 2 million years ago? We have one of the highest rates of “ENDEMIC” (plants and animals living exclusively in one region) species in the world, beaten just by Australia, a Continent! Researchers from all around the world are interested in places like this to try to understand how life has evolved on our planet, due to the huge diversity of species and “local” climates.

We are facing a huge challenge as we live on Nature’s Ultimate Experimental Field. We MUST not just admire and enjoy it but also preserve it. Let us respect all the other species who live with us on this Ark of stone. Do you dare to accept the challenge?

The Elders of the Desert

We are fortunate to be neighbors to the masters of adaptation in the desert, and there is still time to learn and improve our life’s quality. We are talking about the cacti, which is the right way to refer to this group of plants as the word cactus is used for a single plant.

These plants have modified the shape of their bodies in order to store the most valued currency of the desert… water. Most of them do this using their ribs which are folds formed all along their bodies to allow the plants to expand and shrink as accordions to store water during the dry season. Then they face their greatest challenge, to protect all this water. That is why their leaves became thorns to discourage any animal to eat them.

The most admirable fact about them is the way they produce their own food. While other plants go through photosynthesis during the day and lose water by evaporation, cacti can release oxygen during the night to avoid dehydration. They have synchronized their blooming season to avoid competing with each other and to become a constant source of food for the desert inhabitants. Like them, we must adopt this balanced relationship with the environment and do something more that just guarding our resources in order to become positive beings.

Join us in our expeditions through our magic land and let’s learn together from our wise neighbors.