HIGHLIGHTS:

• Travel 45 kms east along scenic coast, through five traditional Maya villages
• Take boat along shore to two isolated, wildlife-rich spots beyond Dzilam de Bravo
• Visit lagoon where thousands of flamingos and other bird species overwinter
• See 3500 liters (925 gallons) per minute of freshwater gushing from the ocean floor
• Deep within a mangrove swamp swim in a clear, freshwater cenote with tropical fish
• Picnic in a thatch-roofed shelter on the beach

WILDLIFE YOU'LL ALMOST CERTAINLY SEE:

• Morelet's Crocodiles, their nests and trails
• Black Iguanas to 3 feet or 1 m long
• BIRDS: *w = winter only

• Laughing Gull -- whitish seabird with rounded, fanlike tail
• Common Tern *w -- whitish seabird with forked tail
• Neotropic Cormorant -- dark waterbirds with snaky necks
• Magnificent Frigatebird -- large, floating on breezes, narrow and bent wings
• American Flamingo -- lots of pink, long-legged waders
• Great Egret -- white body, yellow bill, dark legs
• White Ibis -- white body with black wingtips when flying, long down-curved bill,
• White Pelican *w -- white body showing black wingtips when flying , heavy bill
• Turkey Vulture -- black body, wingtips "fingered"
• Mangrove Swallow -- greenish swallow over water, white rump & underparts
• Great-tailed Grackle -- black songbird, long tail, makes incredible sounds

OTHER BIRDS YOU MIGHT SEE:

• Boat-billed Heron -- enormous flat bill, huge eyes, black crown
• Yellow-crowned Night-heron -- huge red eyes, gray body, white crown
• Green Heron -- small, thick-necked heron with rusty neck & chest, gray back
• Little Blue Heron *w -- smallish, thin-necked heron with rusty head, gray back
• Blue-winged Teal *w-- flocking small ducks showing blue wing patches
• Osprey --  *w large, dark, fishing hawk
• Caracara -- dark, flat-headed-looking hawk nesting near swimming cenote
• Common Black Hawk -- black hawk, yellow legs & beak, white tail band
• Lineated Woodpecker -- large red-headed woodpecker, like northern Pileated

GENERAL TRIP DESCRIPTION:

From the hotel we head east, soon crossing a bridge over the canal through which seawater will be rushing either into or from the lagoons and mangrove swamps, depending on the tide. Just beyond Telchac Pueblo we pass through extensive groves of Coconut Palm. After San Crisanto we see many shallow, quadrangular ponds where salt is produced by traditional techniques. If you want to buy good-tasting, gourmet-style local rock salt that you can pulverize in a blender back home, we may be able to stop and buy some as we come back. After Chabihau, alongside mangrove swamps we travel the new road built after Hurricane Isidora moved the coastline about half a kilometer inland. The next town is Santa Clara, and then finally we pull into Dzilam de Bravo.

As the boats are readied you can sit in the shade of the thatch-roofed structure next to the parked van, watch for crocodiles in the canal across the street, or maybe buy a cold drink from the roving bicycle-mounted soda-stand. While waiting, the tour leaders may ask you to write onto a form your name, age, and country of origin. Once on the boats, put on a life vest so that the belt wraps around behind you and clicks in front. Once all that is done, just let the adventure begin!