Playa del Carmen, in the heart of the Mexican Caribbean, is home of extraordinary biodiversity and ecosystems that are essential to the survival of numerous species. Among them is the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), which visits these waters seasonally, where females find important conditions during their gestation period.
In recognition of its ecological significance, Playa del Carmen was identified as an Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA), an international scientific initiative aimed at identifying and delineating areas that are essential to the survival of these species.
This recognition is the result of the compilation of scientific evidence and collaboration among specialists, academic institutions, and organizations dedicated to marine conservation, including Saving Our Sharks and its allies. The identification of this area provides a scientific basis for guiding future conservation efforts, strengthening decision-making, and promoting the responsible management of human activities in the marine environment.
Read the Playa del Carmen ISRA Factsheet (Important Shark and Ray Area)
A Milestone in scientific collaboration for bull shark conservation
This collective effort was strengthened by the generation of scientific data on bull sharks in Playa del Carmen, with contributions from researchers and partner organizations. Saving Our Sharks’ contributions include supporting the first ultrasound examination of free-swimming bull sharks in the area and developing a bull shark identification catalog, which makes it possible to identify and monitor individual sharks.
View the Bull Shark Identification Catalog
Research published in 2023 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science documented the use of underwater ultrasound to identify embryos in free-swimming female bull sharks in Playa del Carmen. This study demonstrated the potential of non-invasive technologies to study the reproduction of these animals in their natural habitat and expand scientific knowledge of their biology.
Read the full article on the use of underwater ultrasound in bull sharks
The photo-identification catalog helps researchers monitor individual sharks and better understand their patterns of occurrence in the region. Combined with other research and field observations, these data help build a more comprehensive understanding of Playa del Carmen’s importance to the species.
Photo: Kendra Photo
Saving Our Sharks: Part of a Network of Specialists Advancing Conservation
The identification of Playa del Carmen as an Important Shark and Ray Area is not the result of the work of a single organization. The official ISRA factsheet acknowledges the contributions of specialists and representatives from various institutions who participated in compiling, reviewing, and consolidating the scientific information.
Contributors include Dr. Mauricio Hoyos, Director and co-founder of Pelagios Kakunjá and a member of the Saving Our Sharks Advisory Board; Nadia Sandoval Sandoval Laurrabaquio-Alvarado, from El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR); Oscar Sosa-Nishisaki and Luz E. Saldaña-Ruiz, from the Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education at Ensenada (CICESE); and Peter Gausmann, from Ruhr University Bochum and Deutsche Elasmobranchier Gesellschaft e.V.
Collaborators from the Saving Our Sharks team also included Fátima Alejandra Pamela Vázquez Márquez and Luis Lombardo Cifuentes. Other contributors from the scientific community included Candy López Castillejos, Cecilia Gutiérrez-Navarro, Humberto Anduze, and Mizael Palomeque, from Baalche Proyecto Azul; and Emiliano García-Rodríguez, from the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group, as part of the ISRA project.
The contributions of all participants in the 2026 ISRA Regional Workshop for Region 4, covering the North American Atlantic and Caribbean, are also acknowledged. Their work helped consolidate the information included in the official factsheet.
Scientific Knowledge to Protect the Future
For Saving Our Sharks, this achievement demonstrates the value of working alongside researchers, academic institutions, partner organizations, and specialists committed to shark conservation. Every partnership contributes to a better understanding of bull sharks and helps protect the marine ecosystems of the Mexican Caribbean for future generations.
Contact us to build a partnership that supports marine conservation and empowers coastal communities:
info@savingoursharks.org — Pamela Vázquez, Sustainability Director, Saving Our Sharks Foundation
