Life of the Jungle Canopy
Jungle, savanna and forest, coastal wetlands, beaches, caves and sinkholes, the Yucatán is a natural wonderland with plenty of exciting experiences to offer tourists. The Yucatán Peninsula is home to the largest wild cat in the Americas, the jaguar, a creature held sacred by the ancient Maya, spider and howler monkeys, peccary and deer, iguanas, crocodiles and sea turtles.
With year round access to water, the vegetation around cenotes is considerably healthier than the surrounding jungle. As a result, there is an abundance of food, be it fruit, flowers or insects. When you consider that there are thought to be between 7,000-8,000 cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula you can easily see how the animal life and cenotes are so closely linked.
Birds are one of the Yucatán’s crowning glories, it boasts more species than the United States and Canada combined and many birds from colder northern climates winter here after making the long and dangerous journey across the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, the Yucatan Peninsula is considered one of the most important stops on bird migratory routes in the Americas. Some of the winged treasures you may be lucky enough to spot in the Yucatán are parrots, toucans and ocellated turkeys in the forests and 16 species of herons and egrets, kingfishers, pelicans, frigate birds and flamingos in the coastal wetlands.
It was a profound and intimate knowledge of this delicate environment's natural cycles, and a keen understanding of its plants and animals, that allowed the Maya civilization to flourish for over 1,000 years. Then, as now, our very survival depends upon an understanding of nature's rhythms, and upon our ability to adapt to them.
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