The Marieta Islands are a group of small uninhabited islands a few miles off the coast of Nayarit, Mexico.
They are very popular tourist destinations because of the abundant
marine life populations due to the islands being protected from fishing
and hunting by the Mexican government.
The Marieta Islands were originally formed many thousands of years ago
by volcanic activity, and are completely uninhabited. The islands are
about an hour long boat ride west-northwest from the coast of Puerto
Vallarta and are visited daily by hundreds of tourists, yet no one can
legally set foot on the islands. In the early 1900s the Mexican
government began conducting military testing on the islands because no
one lived there. Many bombings and large explosions took place on the
islands causing amazing caves and rock formations to be created. After a
massive international outcry, started by scientist Jacques Cousteau
in the late 1960s, the government eventually decided to label the
islands a national park and therefore protected against any fishing,
hunting or human activity.
Protection by the government has created an environment conducive to the development of the marine ecosystem, and is a popular location for snorkeling and scuba diving. People often report seeing sea turtles, manta rays, octopus, wild dolphins, humpback whales and thousands of species of tropical fish around the islands. The islands are also home to a few thousands birds, with species such as the Blue-footed Booby. Currently, the Mexican government allows only a few companies to go to the islands for public tours because of conservationist efforts.
