‘I never imagined we could buy an island’: how a community saved Mexico’s Galápagos

Espíritu Santo, an uninhabited island off the north-west coast of Mexico, is renowned for its biodiversity and marine life. Photograph: Leon Werdinger/Alamy

On a clear day over the Sea of Cortez, Espíritu Santo looks untouchable. Turquoise water laps at the shores of the island’s rocky coves; whale sharks cruise past snorkellers; seabirds caw over ancient cliffs. The pristine island and its Unesco-protected surroundings – informally called “Mexico’s Galápagos” – are a cocoon of biodiversity.

Yet an increase in tourist numbers has led to growing unease among the island’s longstanding stewards, as environmentalists report a decline in the area’s marine life and call for stricter regulations.