Tiburón Island

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Location of Tiburón Island.

Tiburón Island (Spanish: Isla del Tiburón or Isla Tiburón; Seri: Tahéjöc (/taˈʔɛxʷk/) is the largest island in the Gulf of California, also it is the largest island in Mexico, with an area of 751 square miles (1208 square kilometers). It was made a nature reserve in 1963. Tiburón is Spanish for "shark". The etymology of the Seri name is unknown.

Tiburón Island is part of the state of Sonora, Mexico, as well as the municipality of Hermosillo, and is located at approximately the same latitude as the city of Hermosillo. It is located along the eastern shore of the Gulf of California, opposite Isla Ángel de la Guarda. It is part of the chain of islands known as the Midriff Islands or Islas Grandes.

Tiburón Island is part of the traditional homeland of some bands (or clans) of the Seri people, probably for many centuries.

The island is uninhabited (except for a Mexican military installation on the eastern side of the island) and is administered as an ecological preserve by the Seri tribal government, in conjunction with the Mexican government.

The island can be reached from Punta Chueca, which is the nearest community, inhabited by fishermen and members of the Seri tribe and from Bahia de Kino, a mestizo community 34 km to the south. The distance from Punta Chueca to Punta Tormenta, the nearest point on the island is 3 km. The channel between the mainland and the island is called Canal del Infiernillo (Hell's Channel), due to the strong tidal flow and shoal water that occur there which can make for challenging maritime navigation. The island has a prominent mountain system of volcanic origin.

A permit is required for day hiking and overnight stays on the island and is available at the Seri tribal offices in Bahia de Kino.

[edit] References

Moser, Edward W. (1963). "Seri Bands". The Kiva 28 (3): 14–27. (online Spanish version)

Moser, Mary B.; Stephen A. Marlett (2005). Comcáac quih yaza quih hant ihíip hac: Diccionario seri-español-inglés (in Spanish and English). Hermosillo, Sonora: Universidad de Sonora and Plaza y Valdés Editores.