The close of the 2026 orca-watching season in Baja California Sur marks the end of the first stage under the new management plan and leaves open one of the most intense debates in Mexico's nature tourism. This journalistic analysis —which does not represent the institutional position of Mares de México— gathers the arguments of researchers, operators, and conservationists on how tourism should coexist with one of the most intelligent species in the ocean.

As a child, the word "shark" filled him with fear. Until documentarian Alonso I. Rodríguez de la Parra jumped into the water and watched the largest fish in the ocean glide past: the whale shark, giant, gentle, and without a single dangerous tooth. Between an unexpected giant manta and an enormous mouth full of fish, a chronicle about the day fear turned into curiosity and love for the sea.

Aboard the research vessel Quino the Guardian, documentarian Alonso I. Rodríguez de la Parra becomes part of a monitoring expedition across Mexico's fishing refuges. A ship, he discovers, is a living organism: chef, captain, engineer, scientists, fishers, and divers all function as a single body. And if a ship is a system, so is Earth — and so is the universe. A chronicle about how a single speck of dust might save it all.

It all begins with a dream: a gray whale's eye that transforms into the silhouette of a shark. From there, documentarian Alonso I. Rodríguez de la Parra reflects on the animal that best represents the health of the ocean, the brutal scale of its fishing, and one uncomfortable certainty. Without sharks there is no life in the sea, and without the sea there is no us. A world full of questions is better than one of empty certainties.

A donation of satellite tags takes documentarian Alonso I. Rodríguez de la Parra aboard an expedition to the Revillagigedo Archipelago to study the giant oceanic manta ray. Between placing tags, naming mantas, and meeting the scientists who protect them, an unexpected piece of news changes everything. A chronicle of science, collaboration, and contributing your grain of sand.

Thirty-two meters down at Roca Partida, in the middle of the Pacific, documentarian Alonso I. Rodríguez de la Parra sits to take in the infinite blue. Then the concert begins: the song of a pod of humpback whales, hundreds of whitetip sharks circling around him. A chronicle of the ocean's magic and one certainty: we don't save the sea; the sea saves us.

Alone on the shore of Xcalak, camera in hand and a forgotten tangerine in his backpack, documentarian Alonso I. Rodríguez de la Parra searches for a way to tell the story of the manatees. What he finds isn't the perfect shot, but a truth: the work isn't for ourselves. We are not the sardine. We are the whole school.

Daniel Camilo Thompson Póo —conservation lawyer and consultant for Cuidando los Mares de México— recounts from the sailboat Timshel the expedition that confirmed, for the first time in the wild with underwater ultrasound, the gestation of giant manta rays (Mobula birostris) inside Mexico's Revillagigedo National Park. A chronicle of permits, sharks, volcanoes and a manta named "Abuelita" who changed his understanding of environmental justice.

A decree signed in April turns Loreto into a deep-water port, putting the blue whale's sanctuary at risk. Napoleón Fillat reflects on what we lose when we ignore the ocean's wisdom.

On a new-moon night in La Paz Bay, a group of bottlenose dolphins appeared beneath the panga — and started to glow. Esteban Salazar, biologist and photographer, recounts the bioluminescence spectacle that reminded him why he chose conservation.

On Guadalupe Island, a scientific expedition becomes a close encounter with the great white shark. Between fear, respect, and awe, this story reveals the ocean’s fragility and the human impact even in the most remote places. A call to understand before judging, and to protect what we have yet to know.

A journey to the Galápagos at the start of a new year becomes a deep reflection on time, identity, and purpose. Between the ocean, moments of stillness, and silence, an inner dialogue emerges that goes beyond physical exploration, reminding us that everything happens in an instant and that the only place we can truly find ourselves is in the present.

A journey to Magdalena Bay that goes beyond encounters with marine life. Between sunrises, moments of waiting, and the vastness of the ocean, the experience becomes a space for reflection, connection, and understanding. A reminder that nature is not here for us, but that we are part of it.

The El Sargento Ejidal Trail Park is a conservation project in Baja California Sur in which the ejido chooses to protect its land through an ecological easement. For 20 years, these lands are dedicated to nature and community use, preventing urban development. It is a model that shows conservation can also be a form of development, generating benefits for both the community and the environment.

Swimming with orcas in the wild is a highly controversial practice and must be analyzed from several perspectives: animal welfare, human safety, ethics, and conservation. My assessment is based on scientific evidence, international guidelines, and experiences in different countries. Photography by Jorge Cervera Hauser Orca welfare Orcas are extremely intelligent, social, and sensitive animals. Close contact with humans can alter their natural behavior, cause stress, and affe

Did you know that in some areas giant manta rays have lost up to 90% of their population? Foto por Alonso I. Rodriguez de la Parra Mexico is at the forefront of marine research with a project that uses portable underwater ultrasound to study the giant manta ray ( Mobula birostris ). Although similar techniques have been attempted in the past, this is the first time it has been achieved with the scientific backing, specialized equipment, and coordination necessary to obt

A journey to Banco Chinchorro marks the beginning of a personal and professional transformation through photography. What starts as an expedition becomes a profound encounter with nature, through close interaction with crocodiles in their natural habitat. Between adrenaline, respect, and awe, the experience reveals a deeper truth: the need to reconnect with the natural world and learn to coexist with it through empathy and conservation.