SHELL MIDDENS
An observant visitor to Puerto Peñasco’s environs will notice piles of shells, accumulated over thousands of years of indigenous pilgrimages to the region. The Tohono O’odham tradition was a three day walk across the driest part of the Sonoran desert to collect salt and shells from the coast. Pilgrims would consume clams, leaving the shells in the piles we see today.These pilgrimages ended in the 1950s, coinciding with the beginning of vacationers from the United States. To distinguish recent from ancient clam shells, look for a honey-combed surface where the shell is broken. 

STUDENTS AT CEDO
" CEDO has always been extremely welcoming and helpful to the University of Arizona's Marine Awareness and Conservation Society (MACS). CEDO’s staff has made it possible for us to participate in International Beach Cleanups, provided a wonderful place for us to stay, and given educational presentations at our club's meetings. Our experiences at CEDO have increased our members' awe and wonder about the marine environment, allowing them to further our outreach and promote conservation throughout the Tucson area. The time I spent at CEDO stands out to me as one of the highlights of my college career."
- Moriah Flagler, Fine Arts, University of Arizona

 

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) defines World Heritage Sites as places of unique cultural or natural importance which belong to all the peoples of the world, regardless of where they are located. A World Heritage Site designation brings attention to a place, and provides an impetus for its protection. The islands and protected areas of the Gulf of California were declared a World Heritage Site in 2005, owing to their diversity and ‘striking natural beauty.'

 
UPPER GULF OR NORTHERN GULF?
Biologists studying the distribution of animals in the Pacific Ocean, saw three distinct regions in the Gulf of California: the Nothern, Central and Southern Gulf.  The Northern Gulf is considered to be the area north of San Francisquito, Baja California and Bahia Kino, Sonora. In 1993, the northern-most part of this region, from San Felipe and Puerto Peñasco northwards, was designated as the upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve. Oceanographically this area is distinct, as it is under the influence of the Colorado River. It is known as a region of great importance for commercial fisheries and as a spawning ground. The upper Gulf is used casually to refer to the northernmost region of the Northern Gulf.