La Paz was once rich in pearls. Expeditions financed by Hernán Cortés in the 1530s came back with tales of pearls worn by indigenous tribes, who also had an unfortunate tendency of attacking the intruders. Only 60 years later during a voyage by Sebastián Vizcaíno was he able to make peace with the locals, naming the area as the “Bay of Peace” or Bahia de La Paz. Although pearl-diving was restricted during the Jesuit mission period, the 19th century saw a rush to cultivate pearls, so the abundant oyster beds became heavily depleted. A disease attacked the few remaining oyster beds in the 1930s, and by the time John Steinbeck arrived in 1940 in La Paz (recorded in his book The Log of the Sea of Cortéz) pearls were a thing of the past. It also inspired Steinbeck to write The Pearl, a story of human greed based on a Mexican folk tale.
The only pearls left are those of wisdom, if you are lucky enough to find them. My arrival in La Paz coincided with the annual Waterkeeper Conference, an event that brings together groups protecting watersheds from around the world. This was the first year the event was hosted in Latin America.
