Playa La Negrita
The La Negrita public beach in Loreto is located on the shore of the Loreto Bay National Marine Park north of the Loreto Marina (map). Playa la Negrita is literally translated as The Bold Beach, aptly named for its bold beauty and abundant sea life. It is a recreational public beach enjoyed by local families, visitors and aquatic enthusiasts.
Photo Credits (Left to Right): Don Essig, Alfonso Cuevas Montoya, John Banas
KLM Beach Clean-Up
Keeping this coastal treasure free from trash and debris is the responsibility of all of us. The staff and volunteers of Keep Loreto Magical Foundation perform regular beach cleanups. Over the last 8 months our teams have been collecting surface trash, but we had not done an intensive cleaning until today.
We started at 4am, using a sift, fine rake, and good old thumb and index finger to take out the trash and leave the beach elements as clean as possible. Our “deep clean” turned out better than expected, but was a large challenge - we did lots and lots of raking.
Photo Credits: Cecilia Fischer
Coastal Restoration
Mesquite trees are an important player in our desert landscape. Mesquites are part of the legume family (think peas and peanuts) that work with specific kinds of bacteria to add nitrogen to the soil. This means they essentially fertilize themselves and all neighboring plants. Additionally, Mesquite seed pods are a food source for local fauna.
Our beach clean-up day included taking care of the mesquite trees near the beach. We put trunk sealant on exposed bark areas (caused by offenders cutting branches for wood), cut broken branches with clean chainsaw cuts close to the main trunk which prevents access for tree diseases, and added both top soil and water to quench their summer thirst.
The Municipal ZOFEMAT crew has changed personnel so we also plan to offer them additional training in coastal restoration techniques.
Sea Turtles
While we were at the site, two sea turtles tried to nest around 11am but did not lay eggs due to human presence (ATVs), so please be conscientious that we share the beach with these magnificent creatures who depend on us to protect their nesting sites.