A routine car inspection revealed a man smuggling 11,175 sea turtle eggs in the state of Colima. Authorities noted in a press release that the driver exhibited signs of nervousness. Upon examining the vehicle, authorities detected an unusual cargo concealed within the trunk and the rear compartment. The hidden load consisted of five cardboard boxes…
Every cenote is beautiful in its own way, but not every cenote may be right for you.
Two massive solar farm projects planned for the jungle of southern Yucatán have been permanently canceled following a seven-year legal battle waged by Maya communities who argued the developments would devastate their land, water supply, and way of life. The projects — known as Ticul A and Ticul B — were designed to cover more…
For years, the story of the Cozumel fox was one of whispers and shadows. We are not talking quite Bigfoot levels, but still. Mentioned in academic footnotes and local lore, this tiny canid, believed to be a dwarf species unique to the island of Cozumel, Mexico, had seemingly vanished. With no confirmed sightings for decades…
Heavy machinery rolling through a protected ecological reserve south of Mérida has triggered a federal enforcement action, the latest in an ongoing struggle to preserve one of the city’s most vital green spaces. Mexico’s federal environmental enforcement agency, Profepa, closed down a property in the ejido of Dzununcán after inspectors confirmed that roughly 1 hectare…
In May 2026, Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources announced it would not approve the environmental impact assessment for Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day México. This effectively canceled the 1.5-billion-peso theme park planned for the small fishing village of Mahahual, Quintana Roo. The decision caps a 19-month process that saw the Royal Caribbean attempt to…
Lizards, geckos, and iguanas are part of everyday life in Yucatán and can be seen everywhere from inside the home to gardens and archaeological sites like Uxmal. Unlike other critters who love the heat like cockroaches and scorpions, no variety of lizard in Yucatán is poisonous, and what is even better, they love eating bugs. …
Some species of flowers in Yucatán don’t just survive during heat and drought, but thrive.
Other than human beings, Yucatán is home to two species of primates, these being howler and spider monkeys.
When the pods of the great ceiba tree split open each spring on the Yucatán Peninsula, something remarkable happens. Thousands of fluffy white seeds burst forth and take to the air, drifting across roads, fields, and village plazas. Locals have a name for these floating tufts: “gatitos,” which means “little kittens.” The name is fitting. The soft,…
Ocelots are experiencing population declines throughout much of their natural range, which stretches from Texas in the United States all the way to Uruguay. In the U.S., they are classified as an endangered species. Ironically, however, on the island of Cozumel, they are viewed not as a species in need of protection, but as an…
Most people have never heard of octopus farming. But the only such operation in the entire Western Hemisphere is running right now in Sisal, a small fishing town on Yucatán’s Gulf coast about 50 kilometers west of Mérida — and a Mexican senator wants to make sure it never scales up. For anyone who has…
A crimson flash lit up the sky above Yucatán’s coastline Saturday night — there and gone in a few milliseconds, but not before photographer Juan José Chac caught it on camera. The image, shared on social media, shows a luminous column of red light rising from storm clouds into a star-filled sky. It quickly went…
A gray fox turned up in an unexpected place last week — the offices of one of Yucatán’s oldest newspapers — leaving staff equal parts baffled and charmed before wildlife authorities stepped in. The animal was found early Friday morning resting in a hallway of Diario de Yucatán, in the heart of downtown Mérida. Employees…
Over the past couple of weeks, the coastal town of Sisal in northern Yucatán has become the stage for one of Yucatán’s most impressive natural spectacles. Flocks of thousands of flamingos (known scientifically as a flamboyance) have been spotted flying over packed beaches, transforming tranquil Sisal into a spectacle of pink and crimson. While these…
It’s one of Yucatán’s most remarkable natural destinations — a protected estuary sheltering Mexico’s largest colony of American flamingos, thousands of migratory birds, and crocodile-filled mangroves that draw ecotourists from around the world. But a simmering turf war among local tour operators is raising questions about whether Río Lagartos can manage its growing appeal without…
The artificial reef is designed to attract marine species — particularly grouper, octopus, and spiny lobster — by mimicking natural reef conditions.
Isla Pasion, a small island off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico, has been named the best beach in the world for 2026. Isla Pasion, which means “Passion Island” in Spanish, received the top honor in TripAdvisor’s annual Travellers’ Choice Awards: Best of the Best Beaches. The awards are based on millions of reviews and opinions…
At its most basic, a cenote is a natural sinkhole filled with fresh water. The word comes from the Yucatec-Maya “dz’onot,” meaning sacred well, and these stunning pools are most famously found across Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. To understand a cenote is to understand the unique history of the land itself. Cenotes’ Dramatic Origins The story…
From afar, the pink hue of the roseate spoonbill, also known as the platalea ajaja (seriously), often leads inexperienced birders to think they have spotted flamingos. But in reality, Roseate spoonbills and Flamingos are different and not even members of the same order. A Specialist’s Bill and a Diet-Driven Hue The spoon-shaped bill is a…
Everyone loves palm trees. There is something about the way they define the skyline with their graceful silhouettes and lean towards the sea, to say nothing of the coconut’s wide variety, or the sturdy palms they provide for building palapas. While palm trees seem to thrive with effortless tropical ease, like all living things, they…
Joann Andrews, founder of Pronatura Península de Yucatán and a leading force in conservation across the Yucatán Peninsula for more than four decades, died Sunday in Mérida. She was 96. Andrews arrived in Yucatán in 1964 after marrying archaeologist E. Wyllys Andrews IV. After his death from cancer in 1971, she chose to stay in…
Driven by global demand, the rapid industrial-scale expansion of chicken and pork production is imposing severe environmental costs on Yucatán’s unique ecosystems and its rural communities. While this growth promises economic development, a troubling pattern has emerged: legal injunctions intended to halt operations are frequently ignored. Yucatán’s geography makes it particularly vulnerable. The peninsula is…
The American bison has returned to the landscapes of Coahuila, Mexico, after an absence of approximately 160 years. This historic comeback centers on the “El Santuario” ecological reserve. This nearly 4,000-hectare protected area is in the Sierra de Menchaca, just 10 kilometers from the “Pueblo Mágico” of Cuatro Ciénegas. The effort, spearheaded by the Fundación…
That’s all for now
That’s all for now