President Enrique Peña Nieto received a certificate from UNESCO certifying that the Revillagigedo Archipelago is part of the World Heritage List.

He reiterated Mexico’s commitment to ensuring that 17 percent of the national territory and 10 percent of the oceans will be protected areas by 2018.

“As president, I am delighted to receive this certificate from the UNESCO representative, certifying that this set of islands, the Revillagigedo Archipelago, has now been declared a Natural World Heritage Site”. EPN

Marine wealth

The Secretaries of Environment and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food; and the Navy were instructed to find a mechanism to extend the protection of Revillagigedo Archipelago.

This place has some of the country’s greatest maritime wealth.

Occupying only 1 percent of world geography, Mexico is home to 10 percent of the world’s marine species, many of them endemic.

 “Mexico and its government will continue to work to protect the environment and care for our natural wealth, precisely to make it our greatest contribution to development and a legacy for future generations”. EPN

Ecosystem data

  • The Revillagigedo Archipelago is a group of four volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is a unique ecosystem, located between 720 and 970 km west of Manzanillo.
  • The names of the islands are Socorro, San Benedicto, Clarión and Roca Partida.
  • Only long-range boats can reach the Revillagigedo Archipelago  after a journey of approximately 28 hours.
  • Socorro Island has facilities belonging to the Naval Sector of the Navy Secretariat.
  • It has enormous biological and ecological importance because of its wealth of terrestrial and marine flora and fauna with great biological value, some of which are unique.
  • The terrestrial region of the archipelago contains types of endemic vegetation of great value in preserving the ecological balance, together with a broad range of reptiles, mammals and insects.T
  • The marine region is home to a great variety of algae, corals, annelids, echinoderms, crustaceans, mammals such as whales, killer whales and dolphins.
  • There are also giant manta rays measuring up to 7 meters, unique in the world, which can be up to twice the size of a horse and a wide range of finfish. The area is home to six shark species.