Punta Conejo and the coastline that surrounds it have long been a surfing paradise. The wave itself is a dream — as filmmaker Jamie Tierney once put it: “apart from the Surf Ranch, it was the easiest wave I’ve experienced to get barreled on.”
Naturally, this is the kind of place surfers will fight to preserve. And on more than one occasion they’ve been called on to do so. From proposed port projects to a 2022 Pemex oil spill and more, the area never seems too far from some kind of threat. Organizations like the Save the Waves Coalition and Wildcoast have been perpetually active on that front with the latest effort coming in the form of the Salvemos Punta Conejo campaign, an effort to establish protection for Punta Conejo and nearby Punta Chivo and Punta Escondida. That’s an area spanning 3,500 acres of land along mainland Mexico’s coast. The three surf spots cover about six and a half miles of coastline but aside from the waves themselves, they also support just under 1,300 acres of native mangrove forests. In turn, those natural environments support 40 species of birds and four species of turtles, according to Save the Waves.
“Everything we have been working for in this campaign is coming to a turning point. What we can do here, together, is preserve not only the amazing wave that is Punta Conejo, but everything around it. It’s the unique intersection of the surf ecosystem that we believe is worth protecting,” said Nik Strong-Cvetich, CEO of Save The Waves.
The campaign is a culmination of efforts through the years. The local community has voted to establish a coastal conservation area that would protect mangrove forests, beaches, wetlands, and the waves in the area. By establishing the “Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna,” the whole movement can earn some legitimate legal protection.
“An urgent decision must be made to protect the site from commodification and deforestation to guarantee the ecological services on which its inhabitants depend. The protection of wetlands and mangroves is an issue of national importance to fight against climate change and water scarcity,” said Efraín Olachea, Environmental Lawyer and STW coordinator of the campaign.
“I want to see Punta Conejo protected because it is a wonder of surfing, not only in Mexico but in the entire world,” added Uriel Camacho, one of the local leaders and longtime Conejo defender. “It must be preserved and protected so that it can be enjoyed by all human beings forever.”
Editor’s Note: The petition ¡Salvemos Punta Conejo! can be found here.
