Guerrero Negro means Black Warrior, the name of a ship that sank here in 1858, under the weight of its cargo of whale oil. A year earlier, Charles Scammon had entered the local lagoons and begun the slaughter of thousands of gray whales, whose annual migrations brought them here to calve and mate. Whaling led to the near-extinction of the species early in this century, but intensive protection efforts have restored their numbers. The frolicking giants now put on spectacular shows for thousands of tourists who visit the lagoons every winter. Aerial views of Guerrero Negro and saltworks evaporation lagoons.
Ocean breezes keep temperatures pleasant year-round.
The town's 10,000 inhabitants are sustained by salt. The local works produce more salt than any other source in the world, more than six million tons per year. Seawater is channeled from the ocean into hundreds of shallow ponds, where it evaporates quickly under the intense desert sun, leaving behind thick layers of sea salt. Workers scoop the salt onto barges, for delivery to the nearby Island of Cedros, home to Mexico's third largest seaport, which ships nothing but salt. The salt is then loaded onto seagoing vessels for export to tables all over the world.