San Ignacio Lagoon, known as Laguna San Ignacio by the locals, serves as the winter home and nursery of the California Gray Whale. It is part of the Vizcaino Desert Biosphere Reserve, the largest protected area in Latin America, and is listed as a World Heritage Site. One of only three destinations on its 11,000 mile annual migration, it is relatively untouched by humanity's destruction, and is by far the most pristine habitat in which they live. Females use the lagoon's shallow waters for support and protection during the long and strenuous birth process. This is vital to the calf's health, and only a small fraction of calves born in the open ocean survive their first few hours. For the next several months, the lagoon will become home for the new family. A strong mother-child bond is established while the mother teaches the calf the lessons necessary for survival. The calf will play, hunt, and gain strength in order to prepare for the upcoming migration. Many people have viewed these beautiful creatures on whale watching trips. Friendly and curious, they will often venture alongside the boats of spectators to investigate. Although they were nearly hunted to extinction earlier this century, these whales have made a remarkable comeback, with populations of over 20,000.
This lagoon is not only home to gray whales, but to dolphins and sea turtles as well. The land in the vicinity of San Ignacio is home to coyotes, mountain lions, the endangered pronghorn antelope, peregrine falcons, golden eagles, black brant geese, osprey, and blue-wing teals. A small resident community is sustained by the thriving scallop, clam, lobster, and abalone fisheries which the lagoon supports.
The Situation
All this is threatened, however, by a company known as Exportada de Sal S.A. de C.V. (ESSA). Owned in part by Mitsubishi corporation (49%) and the Mexican Federal Government (51%), this company wants to build the world's largest salt works in this pristine and untouched lagoon. Some key features will be a pipeline which will rob San Ignacio of 6,600 gallons of water per second , a mile-long pier at the mouth of the lagoon, and 23 large industrial evaporative salt ponds. A dock will also be dredged inside the lagoon's entrance for the large freighters to use during the frequent winter stoms and hurricanes. There is already an existing ESSA salt project similar to the one planned at San Ignacio. Located at Guerro Negro, also on the Baja Penninsula, this mine is only half the size of the planned mine. With this and other mines around the world, Mitsubishi is the largest producer of salt anywhere. Though unknown to many, both Mitsubishi and the Mexican government have been destroying large parts of the World Heritage Preserve for years. During this time, the salt works at Guerro Negro has been quietly expanding into the salt ponds of Ojo de Liebre lagoon, also a major calving site for gray whales. There has been a notable decrease in whale activity at Ojo de Liebre lagoon because of the steadily increasing mine, causing the whales to depend on San Ignacio's waters even more. In order to be granted a federal permit to build the mine, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) must be completed and reviewed by a board of scientists. The first EIS was rejected in 1995, mostly because only 23 lines out of the 465-page report described the impact on gray whales. They are currently working on a second EIS, which they hope to bring up for review in early 1999. That leaves us with one year to voice our complaints about the mine, and let Mitsubishi and Mexico know that we won't let them destroy this lagoon.
The Threat
There are several dangers of this project. In order to build the smaller pier and the pipeline, the lagoon will need to be dredged. This will destroy the fisheries which sustain the small resident community, causing many to become impoverished and unemployed. You may be asking yourself, won't the mine create jobs? It could, in fact, create some jobs for people. There is a rumor, however, that Mitsubishi plans to shut down its mine at Guerro Negro. If this occurs, there will actually be a net loss of jobs. Even if this doesn't happen, the jobs which will be created will not pay very well, and not nearly enough to sustain a familiy. In essence, the mine will only create low-paying jobs, not prosperity.
The dredging also has the potential to lower the water temperature greatly. Since calves tend to be very weak when they are first born, they depend on the lagoon's warm waters to sustain their body temperature in order to survive the first few hours of life. Remember, whales are warm-blooded mammals, just like us, and cannot survive having their body temperature lowered by several degrees. If the dredging does lower the temperature, then there is a great danger of having calves freeze to death. Since whales have low reproductivity rates, it could have a great effect on the gray whale population over time.
Another threat is the great amount of water which will be taken from the lagoon. With a pipe pumping 6,600 gallons of water per second, for 24 hours a day, everyday, there will be a noticeable effect on the lagoon. There is a big chance that the water salinity could be lowered to a great extent. Since whales, especially calves, depend on the high salinity of San Ignacio to easily reach the surface to breathe, this could be a risk to their health. By causing young calves to struggle to breathe, they will be needlessly exhausted. This leaves them prone to attack by predators and other dangers.
The huge pier which is supposed to be built will be used for large ocean liners to dock. Although it is planned to be built 12 miles from the mouth of the lagoon, the ships will still pass through the area, possibly disrupting the whales. The pier itself may block their migrational routes, causing them to travel long distances to reach the nursery, if they reach it at all.
Also, they will need to build many roads, trails, etc. to reach the mine from land. The grand total of land lost to development is set at 125,000 acres (52,000 hectares) of land which is supposed to be protected! This will greatly affect the many animals which live on land. Mitsubishi's excuse? They claim that the site on which it is to be built is "wastelands with little biodiversity and no known productive use". As I mentioned before, the vicinity of the lagoon is home to coyotes, mountain lions, pronghorn antelope, and several species of migratory birds. Would you call that little biodiversity?
The Bottom Line
This mine is a great threat to the welfare of the California Gray Whale, as well as that of the other animals which live in the reigion, and the people which reside there. We must take action now, while we still can, to stop this risky and ludicrous activity. Are we willing to trade the well being and safety of several species of animals, a unique ecosystem, and a community for salt?
Take action now! 
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