Isla Espíritu Santo is an incredible island off the coast of La Paz. It is home to many interesting creatures, including two endemic species of reptiles: the Espíritu Santo Whiptail (Aspidoscelis espiritensis) and the Espíritu Santo Striped Whipsnake (Masticophis barbouri). I have never been to the island, but I have received multiple trips as gifts that all managed to fall through one way or another. I will get there eventually, and hopefully find the interesting, beautiful and endemic whipsnake.
Whipsnakes are some of my favorite snakes. The group includes coachwhips, like our Baja California Coachwhips, the big black snakes often seen zooming across roads in La Ventana and El Sargento.
Some other members of the whipsnake family are the Striped Whipsnakes. I have seen several, though I haven’t really got a good look at one because they are very rare in Baja. If you do manage to find one, all you will see is an explosion of hypersonic dust; it makes matters worse that they like to live in between boulders.
If you would like to hear more about my quest to catch one of these lightning bolts, check out my new Substack newsletter: Beneath the Scales. There, I dive deeper into my adventures in search of rare and elusive creatures.
Isla Espíritu Santo is home to some cool land animals, but the unbelievable sea life is the real showstopper. Some years ago, the waters around the island were home to thousands and thousands of hammerhead sharks and an amazing diversity of fish. Life was beyond imagination and it was known as the world’s aquarium. Then, in just a few years, almost all of the hammerheads were fished for shark fin soup, and now the beautiful diversity is gone. I am no fish expert —that is William’s department— however, this seems important.
The good news is that the ecosystem can recover in just a few years if we stop fishing the reefs. This will not only bring scuba tourism back to the area, but the fish will overflow out of the preserve and bring more fish for people as well. Isla Espíritu Santo is a national park but only 4% is protected. Right now, there is an active petition aiming to turn Espíritu Santo’s waters into a reserve, which could quickly become as rich as Cabo Pulmo.
Help to bring life back! Learn More at Pelagios Kakunjá. Sign the petition here.