“Setting off from a dock in la Bahía de La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur, the boat slows as the first whale shark of the day comes into view. Before picking up speed again, the true rarity appears, a humpback whale. ‘Welcome to the Sea of Cortez,’ said Javier Olachea, a wildlife guide of 25 years for The Cortez Club, an eco-tour operator.”

Read the full story on helping conserve wildlife with tourism over at Lonely Planet.