Bajas Wild Side – Plants and Animals of Baja

by Alex Navarro, Baja Adventure Expert The Baja California Peninsula and the Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California, are amazingly abundant in the variety of flora and fauna they have. During your wonderful vacation to Baja, you are sure to see or eat many of them. Below I’m going to present a general list of some of the many animals and plants that you can find here when you adventure outside. Plants: cardon cactus, biznaga or barrel cactus, pitahaya dulce, or organ pipe cactus, pitahaya agria, cholla or galloping cactus, nopal or prickly pear, agaves, sotol, datilillo or yucca tree, maguey or century plant, cirio or Boojum tree, ocotillo, palo adán or Adam’s tree, blue fan palm, palma Colorado, feather-leaf date palm, cocotera or coconut palm, torote or copalquin, cypress, cedar, juniper, pines, white fir, lodgepole, palo fierro or ironwood, palo de arco, eucalyptus, mimosa, mesquite, lomboy, acacia, zalate or wild fig, plum, white sage, damiana, mango, avocado, banana, guanabana, guayaba, citruses, bugambilia, corn, tomato, carrots, potatoes, squash, beets, lettuces, kales, onions, basil, peppers, strawberries, grapes and many more. Animals: pelicans, ducks, quails, loons, albatross, storks, herons, egrets, ibis, turkey vulture, osprey, hawks, bald eagle, golden eagle, road runner, sandpiper, gulls, pigeons, doves, owls, nighthawk, hummingbird, kingfisher, falcon, parakeet, jays, raven, swallow, wren, bluebird, robin, mockingbird, sparrow, cardinal, oriole, bats, mountain cats, foxes, skunks, coyotes, rodents, lizards, deer, rams, chickens, roosters, cows, pigs, horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, shrimp, clams, lobster, crabs, marlin, sailfish, dorado, wahoo, tuna, jack crevalle, pargo, roosterfish, cabrilla, skip jack, bonita, sierra, amberjack, yellowtail, bottle nose dolphin, pantropical spotted dolphin, short beaked common dolphin, long beaked common dolphin, spinner dolphin, rough toothed dolphin, orca killer whales, false killer whale, pilot whale, short fin pilot whale, vaquita marina, porpoise, blue whales, fin whales, grey whale, humpback whales, sea lions, seals, sea turtles like the leatherback, ridley, loggerhead, black and hawksbill turtles, manta rays, sting rays, morey eels, puffer fish, angel fish, parrot fish, blow fish, cornet fish, whale sharks, iguanas, toads, dogs and cats, and many more like snakes, sharks and insects, but we won’t delve too deep here for now ! So ask your tour guide to point out any of these incredible Baja wonders. * ]]>