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Our Mission and Vision

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The Whales of Guerrero facilitates community-driven conservation in the fishing village of Barra de Potosí and throughout the southwest Pacific State of Guerrero, Mexico, pioneering a new approach to coastal protection that cultivates local leadership through citizen science, peer learning, and community outreach. After ten years of collaborative marine mammal research, the seeds of stewardship have taken root in our region. We want to help them bear fruit by galvanizing an emerging group of Fishery and Conservation Leaders who will lead the community toward long-term marine restoration and conservation.  

Our Mission & Vision

Mission
To connect people with nature—and with each other—through programs that inspire interconnection and empower environmental stewardship.

Vision
A conscientious, connected community that places the well-being of people and nature at the center of every decision, building lasting health for generations to come.

Timeframe
Our current strategic plan spans three years (July 2025 – July 2028).

How We Set Priorities

All of our projects are co-created with the communities we serve. From design through execution and final review, we ensure that every activity:

      • Aligns with our mission.
      • Serves the common good.
      • Strengthens both people and ecosystems.

 

Program Priorities (2025- 2026)

Community Development

      • Mural & Village Map: Create a visitor landmark that celebrates community identity and welcomes travelers from around the world.
      • Community Center: Build a gathering space in Barra de Potosí for meetings, training, and cultural events.
      • Women’s Leadership: Support women-led initiatives, including mangrove restoration, guided walks, and cooking classes—while exploring new opportunities.
      • Exchange Programs: Facilitate exchanges with other whale-watching communities to share knowledge and strengthen best practices.
      • Vision Planning: Continue long-term community planning and visioning processes.

Whales and dolphins

      • Guide Empowerment: Strengthen a network of authorized, well-trained guides to monitor and protect marine mammals.
      • Protection Zones: Begin working with policymakers to establish safe zones—no-go, limited access, or slow-speed areas—for mother–calf pairs.
      • Citizen Science: Collect year-round opportunistic data on whales and dolphins.
      • Awareness Campaigns: Partner with municipalities and allies to train tourism staff and government personnel in best practices.
      • Policy Collaboration: Work with SEMARNAT and PROFEPA on training and whale stranding response committees.
      • Community Events: Host annual ceremonies, a 2026 Whale Fiesta, and other celebrations.
      • Scientific Research: Publish at least one peer-reviewed paper based on data collected between 2014–2025.

Education

      • Cross-Border Partnerships: Deepen collaborations with Pacific coastal communities in Mexico and the US, including our Sister Sites program with the Noyo Center for Marine Science.
      • Public Awareness: Educate non-authorized guides, fishermen, private boaters, and the general public on marine mammal best practices.
      • Women Go Whale Watching: Support women’s continued engagement in marine life through dedicated whale-watching opportunities.
      • Youth Education: Strengthen programs for children by supporting local partners and inspiring the next generation of conservation leaders.
      • Apprenticeships: Design and prepare to launch a social service program for students from Mexico and abroad to gain hands-on skills in marine conservation.

Funding Our Work

We rely on a diverse mix of support, including:

    • Expeditions and day trips.
    • Grants and foundations.
    • Individual donors.
    • Corporate sponsorships.
    • Fundraising events, dinners, and presentations.
    • Whale adoptions.

Advisory & Supporting Roles

  • Exploring sustainable fisheries
  • Hosting fishery experts for training
  • Supporting science and astronomy outreach
  • Expanding citizen science for birds, lagoon ecology, and lagoon health
  • Offering English classes and translation services for free to our non-English speaking colleagues and partners
  • Backing local allies (animal sanctuaries, turtle camps, education, and well-being groups) in advancing our shared vision for a healthy, harmonious region.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
A VERY SPECIAL NATURAL REGION OF MEXICO NEEDS PROTECTION NOW.

Protecting Endangered Whales Calls Focus to the Area as a Place Worth Saving.

Bahia de Petatlan, Laguna Potosi and the small fishing village of Barra de Potosi are facing accelerated environmental degradation. The fisheries throughout Guerrero are in a state of collapse. Runoff pollution is bleaching our corals and making our wildlife sick. Climate change is causing more frequent, violent storms every year and affecting the temperature and acidity of the ocean. In recent years, FONATUR, (Fondo National de Turismo), the Mexican national trust fund for tourist development approached cruise ship lines with an offer for a pier to be built in front of the estuary fed by Bahia de Potosi. Fortunately, the proposal was eventually abandoned, mostly likely due to financial challenges and pressure from the local community. Not only does the open water host a population of migrating whales and countless species of fish, bird and sea life, but a 450-acre estuary surrounds the 600-person fishing village located at the end of the beach. A local group of concerned citizens is fighting to remove the threat of future development. A healthy ecotourism industry, deep environmental education programs, published scientific evidence identifying the region as critical habitat for hundreds of marine and terrestrial species, and an empowered, organized community of local leaders could tip the scales in favor of protection.

Disempowered Locals Need Work and Options

In recent years, the fish population appears to have declined, mostly likely due to an increase in commercial gillnet fishing and climate change. Local fishermen are growing desperate. Many resort to harvesting endangered turtle eggs and other illegal activities as a means of survival. Creating a viable, responsible whale watching industry along with other sustainable ecotourism options will help to alleviate this financial pressure.

-WHEN THE WHALES WIN, EVERYBODY WINS-

Good for Science:
Our participatory marine wildlife surveys will give us a clear understanding of the local humpback whale population size and movement patterns and identify how all large marine animals utilize and inhabit the local environmental. Our humpback whale study is helping us to understand survival rates for whales entangled in fishing nets, establish a protected migration corridor for humpback whales along the entire West Coast of North America, and to define the boundaries of distinct humpback whale population segments.

Good for Nature:
A census of the visiting whale population will be valuable data that can be added to petitions in progress by local environmental organizations to create a protected sanctuary of the region. We will have established working partnerships and communication between respected whale watch companies along the entire Western Pacific Coast.

Good for Whales:
We will design and launch a safe whale watch awareness campaign about whale watching in Barra de Potosí and region-wide to disseminate safe whale watch opportunities and information, facts about humpback whales and safe whale watching season dates and guidelines. Workshops led by local, national and international leaders in whale conservation and identification will be conducted among local and visitor populations, leading to an increased awareness about the whale population and safe whale watching practices.

Good for Local Business and Tourism:
A sustainable, responsible whale watch company will give local fishermen extra means to support themselves and their families. A core group of 40 seasoned safe whale watch guides will monitor and enforce a culture for new guides to follow that will support Guerrero’s reputation as a place where safe responsible whale watching occurs .

Field trips and expeditions with local, national and international students and nature enthusiasts will create further work opportunities and bolster local pride and awareness.

An increase in awareness about the presence of whales and dolphins in the area will encourage ecotourism in the area. In addition to whale watch guides, local women artists, restaurants and lodging hosts, and thousands of others engaged in tourism activities will benefit from this new activity.

Good for the World:
Whales of Guerrero is a working prototype that is being actively applied to other small low income country villages with consistent charismatic megafauna populations and underemployed communities. We will continue to exchange our knowledge and experiences with scientists, teachers and conservationists around the world through hosted site visits, publications, presentations and learning exchanges worldwide.