El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve
🇲🇽 Mexico
Baja California Sur, Mexico 682 spp. recorded
El Vizcaíno is desert wrapped around two shallow lagoons where gray whales come to calve, and in winter the whales are the reason to be here — recorded on 95% of February trips.
27.400° N 113.505° W
🦜 Nature
388 Species sighted
38,304 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Oct Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
+ 384 more species with insufficient data
Recent sightings in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
36Jan
36Feb
35Mar
39Apr
28May
32Jun
31Jul
35Aug
42Sep
56Oct
44Nov
37Dec
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Refugio de Aves
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Casa Mexicana de la Ballena Gris
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Oasis San Ignacio
Daily sight. prob.vs avg
Turkey Vulture~60%-10%
Common Raccoon~60%+40%
American Bullfrog~60%+40%
California Ground Squirrel~60%+40%
Red-spotted Toad~50%+30%
Small-scaled Lizard~50%+30%
Desert Iguana~50%+30%
Couch's Spadefoot~50%+40%
Red Diamond Rattlesnake~40%+10%
Cape Gopher Snake~40%+20%
Baja California Spiny Lizard~40%+20%
Pacific chorus frog~40%+20%
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Estanque de Aguas Residuales de Guerrero Negro
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Good
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
4.8
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 455
🐒 Mammals 141
🦎 Reptiles 73
🐸 Amphibians 13
682 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
37 Threatened 103 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
3.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
57% 📊
Coverage (201 species at ≥5% of 682 in the inventory)
29% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 2 mammal)
37% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
131 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
7 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
19 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.7
Climate Pleasant High
Entrance Paid Low
Tourism Medium Medium
Trails Easy High
World Heritage Yes Bonus
Before you go
What animals can you see in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
682 species
El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve has 682 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Turkey Vulture (about 70%), Western Gull (about 70%), Gray Whale (about 70%), Osprey (about 60%) and Double-crested Cormorant (about 60%). Among reptiles, the most-seen is Zebra-tailed Lizard (about 40%); among amphibians, Pacific chorus frog (about 20%).
When is the best time to visit El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve for wildlife?
April, September and November–February
In those months the park's 12 most-seen species average about 60% on a given day, against about 40% in May and July.
Can you see a Gray Whale in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Whale sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 235 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February (about 90%).
Can you see a California Sea Lion in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
Yes
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a California Sea Lion sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 39 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March (about 50%).
Can you see a Coyote in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Coyote sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 80 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is June, September and December (about 60%).
Can you see a Red Diamond Rattlesnake in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve?
Yes
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Red Diamond Rattlesnake sighting in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April, July and October–November (about 40%).
Where in El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve is wildlife easiest to see?
Around Laguna San Ignacio
The richest sighting zone is around Laguna San Ignacio, followed by Refugio de Aves and Casa Mexicana de la Ballena Gris, ranked by how many of the park's headline animals visitors can expect to see in each. See the zones on the map.
Is El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve good for wildlife watching?
3.5 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve rates 3.5/5: 184th of 316 parks worldwide and 22nd in North America. 28 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
