Over 20 Least Tern Nests Found Near San José del Cabo Hotel

Municipal ecology officials in Los Cabos have confirmed more than 20 active least tern nests on the beach adjacent to the Hotel Presidente InterContinental in San José del Cabo. Three additional nests and one hatchling were found during recent monitoring patrols, marking one of the more productive nesting seasons in the area. If you walk the beach near the hotel zone this summer, expect roped-off sections and posted monitors.

Least Tern Nests in Los Cabos Have Grown Since 2019 Recovery Efforts

The least tern, known locally as the gallito marino, is one of the smallest seabirds in North America. Adults weigh roughly two ounces and lay their eggs directly on open sand, making nests nearly invisible to beachgoers. The species is listed as “threatened” under Mexico’s NOM-059 wildlife protection standard, and populations along the Baja California Sur coast declined sharply through the early 2000s due to habitat loss, off-leash dogs, and ATV traffic on nesting beaches.

Conservation group SYCOMA (the acronym stands for Sociedad y Conservación del Medio Ambiente) has held federal authorization from SEMARNAT, Mexico’s environment ministry, to manage and monitor least tern colonies in the Los Cabos municipality. SYCOMA’s field teams have worked the San José del Cabo coastline for several breeding seasons. Their monitoring data, combined with municipal patrols, helped identify the cluster of 20-plus nests near the Hotel Presidente this year.

Jorge Armando López Espinoza, the municipal director of ecology and environment, led the recent survey patrols. He was accompanied by José Manuel Larumbe Pineda, a Los Cabos city council member, and Francisco Olmos Montaño, who represents civil society organizations on the advisory council for the Estero San José del Cabo State Ecological Reserve. Carlos Daniel Ruiz Botello, coordinator of that reserve, also participated.

The Estero San José ecological reserve sits at the mouth of the San José River, where freshwater meets the Pacific. That estuary and the sandy stretches extending southeast toward the hotel zone provide the open, undisturbed sand habitat that least terns require. Nesting pairs typically return to the same general area each year if conditions remain favorable. The fact that more than 20 nests are concentrated in one zone suggests the colony views this stretch as relatively safe from predators and foot traffic.

Least tern nesting season along the southern Baja coast generally runs from May through August. Eggs incubate for about three weeks, and chicks need another three to four weeks before they can fly. That timeline means active nests discovered now will likely remain protected through late July or early August, depending on when each pair laid eggs.

Beach Access Near Hotel Presidente Remains Open With Marked Restrictions

The municipality has coordinated directly with Hotel Presidente management to allow ongoing nest monitoring on and near the property’s beachfront. Municipal officials stressed that conservation work will not block tourism or recreational use of the beach. But the nesting zones are marked with signage and rope barriers, and authorized monitors are stationed in the area during daylight hours.

The marked sections are relatively small. Least tern colonies tend to cluster in patches of flat, open sand above the high-tide line. Beachgoers can walk around these sections without difficulty. Still, the birds are sensitive to disturbance. Walking through a nesting area, even briefly, can cause adults to flush from their eggs. Exposed eggs overheat quickly in Cabo’s summer sun, where sand temperatures regularly exceed 130°F (54°C). A few minutes of exposure can kill an embryo.

Dogs are the most common threat. Off-leash dogs on nesting beaches can destroy entire colonies in minutes. Municipal authorities have asked visitors to keep dogs away from signed areas entirely. Drone use near colonies is also discouraged, as the buzzing sound mimics predatory birds and triggers the same panicked flushing response.

For visitors staying at or near the Hotel Presidente, the practical advice is simple. Walk the waterline, respect the rope barriers, and do not approach posted nesting zones for photographs. The eggs and chicks are sand-colored and nearly impossible to see, which means stepping on them is a real risk even for careful walkers.

Monitoring patrols will continue through the end of nesting season, likely into August. The municipality’s ecology office said further nest counts may be published as the season progresses. This story was first reported by the Los Cabos municipal government.