APA da Baleia Franca

Created in 2000 on the southern coast of Santa Catarina, Área de Proteção Ambiental da Baleia Franca covers an area of 156,000 hectares, with 130 km of coastline. Its main purposes are to protect the southern right whale in Brazilian waters, regulate research activities in the region, ensure the rational use of its natural resources, water, and soil, and regulate tourist and recreational use. The APA is home to beaches, islands, rocky shores, lagoons, areas of restinga (coastal sandy-plain vegetation), dunes, and archaeological sites. Image: ICMBio