Flamingos

The largest flocks of flamingos in North America are right here in the wetlands of the Yucatan. The joy of seeing the salmon pink masses of these elegant birds is a heartwarming experience and a photographer's dream come true.

Once exclusive to the Ria Lagartos area, they changed their living habits after the category 5 Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. After Gilbert, colonies started to form in Celestun. Then they started appearing by the hundreds in Uaymitun. Presently there are some 25,000 flamingos in the Yucatan.

To see the flamingos in Ria Lagartos or Celestun, you have to take a boat ride. To see them in Uaymitun, you can visit the lookout tower that is right next to the road. Admission is free and the caretakers will lend you some binoculars.

Flamingos are funny birds the way they stand around on one leg in shallow water. To eat, they turn their heads upside down
and drag their beaks along the bottom, inhaling the mud that contains the shrimp, fish and minerals that they eat. The minerals give them their unique color.

Above: flamingos take flight over a lagoon near Celestun in the Yucatan.

Flamingos are nervous birds, so we ask that you don't scare them or try to make them fly. If you are lucky enough, you'll get to see them in natural flight early in the morning or at sunset. It's quite a sight. Enjoy them in silence and take lots of pictures!

Read more about:
 Celestun
 A readers Day Trip to Celestun
 Transportation in the Yucatan
 Beaches of the Yucatan
 Vacation Rentals in the Yucatan
 Real Estate Beach Homes

Visit our map:
 Map of Yucatan Peninsula
 Map of Celestun