Rancho Cruzeto

Rancho Cruzeto’s property is situated on the southern coast of the state of Jalisco, México in the town Cruz de Loreto. Cruz de Loreto belongs to the municipality of Tomatlán.

Our climate is warm ranging from 10°C (50°F) in the winter time to 40°C (104°F) in the summer time.

The ranch is approximately 500 hectares (1,200 acres) and is comprised of 3 types of ecosystems: Deciduous tropical forest, estuarine system, and coastal. 

Deciduous Tropical Forest

This type of ecosystem prevails in most of the pacific coast of Mexico. Around 80% of Rancho Cruzeto is this type of ecosystem. The main characteristic is a pronounced rainy season and dry season. The rainy season begins in mid-June and lasts until November. The dry season begins in December and ends in June.

The flora in this area consists of different types of cactus, legumes, mimosas, climbing plants and trees. For example, possum wood (hura crepitans), gold tree (Tabebuia donnell-smithii), Savannah Oak (Tabebuia rosea ), acatispa, elephant ear tree (Enterolobium cyclocarpum), Texcalama (Ficus Padifolia), Tree Morning glory (Ipomoea arborescens), Silk Cottontree (Cochlospermum vitifolium) , bull’s egg (tabernaemontanaalba), congo (Stromanthe stromanthoides), Huisache (Acacia farnesiana), guamúchil (Pithecellobium dulce), Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), coconut palm trees(Cocos nucifera), guava (Psidium guajava) trees and nance (byrsonimia crassifolia).

Mammals that live in this area include: whitetail deer, wild boar, badger, raccoon, armadillo, skunks, opossums, rabbits, squirrels, ocelot, jaguar, puma, jaguarondi and wildcat.

Among the reptiles our forest hosts are: iguanas, lizards, snakes like coral snake and boa. There are birds like parrots and chachalacas as well as countless insects, bees, flies, spiders and wasps.

A Bit of History

During the 1970’s the Mexican government built the Cajón de Peñas Dam in the municipality of Tomatlán. The government created an irrigation district to boost the farming activities. The social philosophy of those years also included the expropriation of land to create communal land and distributing it to farmers so they could own and develop it agriculturally.

With these government policies, a big portion of the Mexican forests were cleared and repurposed as farming fields.

Rancho Cruzeto has created an effort to restore this ecosystem and has focused its efforts to reforest mainly with local species of trees. Until 2014 we had transplanted around 1,000 trees. These trees were donated to us in 2005 by  CONAFOR (National Forest Commission) in small trays. Those were transplanted to a 10 hectare (25 acres) area where they grew up to 2 meters (6feet). With specialized machinery and a process which we mastered, we were able to transplant them to the rest of the property with a 90% survival rate.

Allowing dense areas of vegetation while respecting and transplanting trees is our goal. This will ensure Rancho Cruzeto is home to this diverse flora and fauna, the conservation of the rich minerals present, and the preservation of our soil and river banks.

Interesting link about the Mexican Deciduous Tropical Forest

Estuarine Ecosystem

The shore of the Ermitaño Estuary adjoins in approximately 50% with Rancho Cruzeto. This ecosystem has unique characteristics because it contains a mix of sweet and saline water, this fact determines the type of flora and fauna that is specific to these conditions.

In Rancho Cruzeto by the shore of the Ermitaño estuary we find different species of mangrove such as buttonwood mangrove (Conocarpus erectus,) black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) and red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle)

In the estuary there are different species of fish, shellfish and mollusks such as: marine shrimp, lagoon shrimp, grey mullet, channel catfish, constantino snook (centropomus mexicanus), common snook (centropomus undecimalis), guabina fish, cray fish, ginger mojarra, oyster mangrove amongst others.

Also the estuary nestles different types of reptiles, such as crocodiles, iguanas, green basilisk, lizards, turtles, and different species of snakes. This is also the home to many birds, some which are migratory and some that permanently live in the area, they sum up to around 200 species.

The estuary has a great ecological and economic importance. They are the breeding refuge to many species that are commercially used in the fishing industry. This is due to the fact that in the roots of the mangrove the larvae protect themselves and live until they reach a size that is good for human consumption. Estuaries generate a huge quantity of nutrients, through the waves are carried into the ocean, and serves as food for the fish that will be later captured to be sold in the market. In Mexico the fishing of shrimp exists precisely due to the quantity of estuaries which the country has. This has given Estuaries the title of Ocean’s wombs.

As if that was not enough, mangroves that live in the estuary also play an important role as a wind, and tide barrier, preventing erosion and cushioning the impact that river currents have in the coral reefs. They also serve as a biological filter; they retain and process some of the pollution from human and agricultural residues.

A Bit of History

During the sixties, different countries and non-government organizations that were worried about the degradation and loss of the wetland habitats began to negotiate an international treaty. This was signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971, and was enforced in 1975. There are country members from all the regions of the world.

The mission of the Ramsar Convention is the conservation and the rational use of the Wetlands (estuaries) through local, national actions, and with the cooperation of the international community, to obtain a sustainable development around the world.

The Estuary Ermitaño together with the Estuary Agua Dulce was added to the Ramsar sites in February 2008 with a total of 1281 hectares.

Coastal Ecoystem

Rancho Cruzeto borders in a fringe of 1.8 miles with the beach known as Playon de Mixmaloya, located by the Pacific Ocean, hosting a coastal ecosystem whose main characteristic are sandy beaches, and plant species that require very little humidity such as the pistol grass, and ambula (known as rays plant because for its curative properties against the manta ray sting)

The Playon de Mixmaloya is considered a natural protected area, since 3 species of turtles arrive to nest on this beach every year. The most common is the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). In less quantity arrive the black turtle (Chelonia mydas agassizii) and the Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). Randomly some hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricate) have also made it to these shores.

In this area of the pacific ocean we find shark, manta ray, octopus, shrimp, red snapper, puffer fish or fugu, spotted rose snapper, flamenco, red snapper, bass, perch, albacore, pineapple fish, sea bass, barred pargo, mackerel, Californian salema, rooster fish, dolphins, manta rays, barracuda, flying fish, lobster, oysters, goro, chiton, eel, moray eel, haemulon.

Also on their migratory trip, to these waters arrive the humback whale, gray whale, tuna, marlín, longhorn cowfish, sardines, Peruvian moonfish, grouper an dolphins.  

A Bit of History

During 1965 the Mexican government established on the beach Playon de Mixmaloya the first experimental turtle camp as one of the initial protection actions for the turtles. By 1987 the first structured program was established and in 1998 an agreement between CONANP (National Comission of Natural Protected Areas) and the ecologic foundation Selva Negra was signed. Together they are taking conjunct actions for the conservation and protection of the marine turtles in many Mexican beaches.

The Playon the Mixmaloya beach was categorized as a sanctuary in the year 2000.