San Pedro Mártir Island facts for kids
|
Native name:
Spanish: Isla San Pedro Mártir
|
|
|---|---|
 San Pedro Mártir
Location in Mexico
|
|
| Geography | |
| Location | Gulf of California |
| Coordinates | 28°22′49″N 112°18′25″W / 28.38028°N 112.30694°W |
| Area | 2.72 km2 (1.05 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
|
Mexico
|
|
| State | Sonora |
| Demographics | |
| Population | uninhabited |
| Official name: Isla San Pedro Mártir | |
| Designated: | 2 February 2004 |
| Reference #: | 1359 |
San Pedro Mártir is a special island in Mexico. It is in the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez. This island is located far from other places. It is about halfway between the coasts of Baja California and Sonora.
The island is not very big. It is about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) long and 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) wide. Its total area is about 2.72 square kilometers (1.05 square miles). No people live on San Pedro Mártir. The closest city is Bahía Kino, which is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) away.
Contents
A Special Natural Place
Since 2002, San Pedro Mártir Island and its ocean areas have been a Biosphere Reserve. This means it is a protected area. Scientists see it as a natural laboratory. It is a great place to study how animals and plants change over time. It is similar to the famous Galápagos Islands.
The island is home to many different living things. There are 292 kinds of animals and plants. This includes both land and water species. Mexican law protects 42 of these species. Also, 30 species are on the Red List of Threatened Species. This list shows animals and plants that are in danger of disappearing.
Amazing Bird Life
San Pedro Mártir is unique because of its many birds. You can often see a swirling cloud of seabirds around the island. This happens because the water nearby is full of food. There are lots of small fish like anchovies and sardines. This makes it a perfect place for seabirds and even whales to visit.
Isla Rasa and San Pedro Mártir are the most important bird sanctuaries in the Sea of Cortez. A sanctuary is a safe place for animals. The large number of birds leaves a lot of guano on the island. Guano is bird droppings. It makes parts of the island look white.
Plants and Animals of San Pedro Mártir
Even though the island looks white from guano, it has plants. There are 24 types of plants that have tubes to carry water. The most common plant is the Mexican giant cardon. This is a type of elephant cactus. It can grow very tall, up to 60 feet (18 meters). These cacti are very good at living with little rain. A special kind of bee helps pollinate these cacti.
Bird Colonies
San Pedro Mártir Island has the largest nesting groups of two types of birds. These are the brown boobies and the blue-footed boobies. These birds build their nests and raise their young here.
Island Lizards
The success of these birds helps other animals. Two types of lizards live only on this island. They are the San Pedro Martir whiptail and the San Pedro Side-blotched Lizard. These lizards eat fish scraps that the birds leave behind.
Sea Lions
You can also find Sea lions around the island. They have special places called rookeries where they gather. San Pedro Mártir has the fourth most important sea lion breeding colony in the Gulf of California. This means many sea lion pups are born here.
Human History and Protection
Long ago, the Seri Indians visited the island. They made special benches to help birds build nests. This made it easier to collect eggs. This is the only lasting sign of people on the island.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, people mined guano from the island. They shipped it to places like Europe to use as fertilizer. The mining boats accidentally brought black rats to the island. These rats were an invasive species. They were removed in 2007 by spraying rat poison.
San Pedro Mártir is not visited often. It has steep sides, making it hard to land. There used to be a landing spot, but now it is forbidden. In 2005, UNESCO named the island a World Heritage Site. It is part of the Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California.
Flora and Fauna Species
The National Biodiversity Information System (CONABIO) keeps track of life on the island. In the San Pedro Mártir Island Biosphere Reserve, there are over 330 types of plants and animals. Out of these, 27 are at risk of disappearing. Also, 7 are exotic species, meaning they are not native to the island.
See also
In Spanish: Isla San Pedro Mártir para niños
