MUST SEE: ISLA ISABEL NATIONAL PARK, MEXICO
Isla Isabel National Park is a Mexican national park and protected area located off the coast of Nayarit southwest of Mazatlan. This isolated island was one Jacques Cousteauโs favorite places and Cousteau himself made the recommendation to the Mexican government to designate this island as a National Park. He spent a great deal of time here and has aired many specials on this fabulous gem. The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau aired in 1975.
Isla Isabel is one of the main nesting islands for seabirds in the Pacific, including large colonies of Magnificent Frigate birds over 11,000 Fregata magnificens , Blue-footed Boobies Sula nebouxii, Brown Boobies Sula leucogaster and Sooty Terns Sterna fuscata. Marine life is rich, with over 24 shark and ray species, three species of sea turtles, the California Sea Lion Zalophus californianus, Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae and Killer Whale Orcinus orca.
The island is uninhabited by humans, though there is a seabird reproductive research program run by UNAM and tourists visit to camp, fish and bird watch. After having depleted a huge colony of Sooty Terns, which in 1978 had over 150,000 pairs, cats were finally eradicated from the island in 1995 and the Terns are slowly recovering. The biodiversity and migratory populations of animals that live and return here year after year is a stunning MUST SEE.