Tidal Constituents

vibes of this week: happy, loving

Happy Valentine's day weekend! Make sure to say I LOVE YOU to friends, family, and significant others! I thought it would be perfect to talk about Lovers Beach in Cabo, Mexico AKA Playa del Amor. There are many reasons why this area is called Lover's Beach. Some say it is because the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean are united in this area, others say it's because this area is so beautiful it inspires love, and the last reason comes from legend. In the 18th Century, a Japanese sailor was rescued by a inhabitant of the Cabo region. The two fell head over heels on this beach but alas, their love was not meant to last. The inhabitant of the region's father did not approve of the relationship, and flew into a fit of rage. During this fit, he attacked and killed the Japanese sailor. The inhabitant was wrecked with sadness and decided to take their life in hopes to meet their lover in the afterlife [1].

Most common Tidal Constituents for Cabo San Lucas + San Felipe [2]:

M2: Principal lunar semidiurnal constituent

S2: Principal solar semidiurnal constituent

N2: Larger lunar elliptic semidiurnal constituent

One of the biggest issues that the Mexican Peninsula and Cabo is facing is loss of biodiversity due to the tourism industry. The tourism sector in the Mexican Caribbean generates 400 tons of waste per day, largely plastic waste, and makes up about one third of the entire region’s total amount of waste and there is no strong infrastructure in place to process this waste. According to The Nature Conservancy, an 80% of coral along Mexico’s Caribbean coast has died or suffered damages since the 1980s, due to pollution, disease, overfishing and violent storms. A 2018 report stated that 50% of Mexico's reefs were in poor condition. Mexico is home to 10% of the world's species and although this degradation is rampant, there are still no laws restricting expansion and development in this area. In 2012, Mexico passed a law acknowledging their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, however there is no real criteria being enforced to meet this goal. There are some efforts in reducing environmental harm. A coral reef in Cabo Pulmo National Park located in Mexico’s Baja California Sur, was recently saved from developmental plans to build a massive tourism and real estate complex called Cabo Cortes [3].

Cite:

[1] Cabo San Lucas Net, “Lover’s Beach, Cabo San Lucas,” Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. [Online]. Available: https://www.cabosanlucas.net/what-to-do/lovers-bea.... [Accessed: Feb. 7, 2026].

[2] S. G. Marinone, “Tidal residual currents in the Gulf of California: Is the M₂ tidal constituent sufficient to induce them?,” Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, vol. 102, no. C4, pp. 8611–8623, Apr. 1997, doi: 10.1029/96JC03835.

[3] Ecology Project International, “Uncontrolled Tourism and the Effect on Mexico’s Ecology,” EcologyProject.org. [Online]. Available: https://www.ecologyproject.org/tourism-and-mexico-.... [Accessed: Feb. 7, 2026].