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| Parks & Protected Areas Guide - Mexico | |||
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Mexico:
Protected Natural Areas
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Special
Biosphere Reserve of Celestun On July 19th, 1979, the Federal Government decreed the Celestun Wildlife Refuge, because of its importance as the main feeding area for the American Flamingo and countless species of waterfowl and shorebirds its status was upgraded to that of a Special Biosphere Reserve in 1989. The Special Biosphere Reserves are representative zones of one or more ecosystems that haven't been altered by men. These areas are the habitat to endemic, and/or species threatened with extinction. Celestun is located 56 miles west of Merida, Yucatan (route 281) and/or 134 miles to the north of Campeche, Campeche (route 180) towards the western tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico. Its size is 59,130 hectares (146,000 acres) shared by two states: 25,000 hectares belong to the state of Yucatan (Municipio de Celestún) and the rest, 34,130 hectares, to Campeche (Municipio de Calkiní). Getting There Organized tours are offered daily at most major hotels and travel agencies in Merida. Public buses leave on the hour every hour from the corner of Calle 50 and 67. If driving from Merida, head south to Uman and turn right at the plaza there, or head towards the west from Merida past Caucel to Hunucmá. Ecotourism (Activities, Volunteering, Operators and Lodging) Boat rides Take a boat trip out onto the estuary or ría and admire the impressive water bird populations. There may be as many as 18,000 flamingos to be seen at once, offering an incredibly pink spectacle. Explore the mangrove swamps and plunge in one of the beautiful sweet water springs The Beach Celestun boasts long stretches of pristine beaches. It is a superb place to avoid the crowds and enjoy the sun, sand and the warm emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Seafood No stay in Celestun is complete without a visit to one of the sea front restaurants specializing in fresh, locally caught seafood. Bird watching "Birders" look for more than just flamingos at Celestun. Up to 355 species of birds have been recorded. The tour lasts from six to seven hours. Part of the tour is by land and part by water. Fishing You won't return to your hotel barehanded after this tour! The richness in zoo and phyto plankton of the Gulf of Mexico assures you a very good catch. Besides, the chef will be delighted to prepare your seizure at your pleasure. Night boat rides This exciting tour allows you to see animals that you normally don't see during the day. They hunt at night while others sleep: crocodiles, Boat-billed Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Great-horned Owl, etc. The boat ride lasts approximately 2 1/2 hours and covers about 30 Km. of the estuary. Ecolodges It
is highly recommended to stay at the EcoHotel
EcoParaiso.
Coastal dune scrub (11%) You
can distinguish two big groups of vegetation in this zone: 1) the coastal
or haliphilous dune vegetation that grows near the beach and is tolerant
to extreme conditions such as high salinity, strong winds and tides,
and 2) the spiny thicket that is less tolerant to sudden environmental
changes and thus grows inland. In Celestun, you can find an interesting
mixture of tropical savanna, low tropical subdeciduous forest and tular
vegetation and find exotic species of palm trees, cactus, bromelias
and orchids. The "Ría de Celestún", as the estuary is locally called, is 22.5 Km. long and has an average width of 1.25 Km. It displays an exceptional landscape created by the unusual combination of natural resources, flora and fauna that constitute an ecosystem representative of the dry tropics. Its shape is rectangular and stretches out from northeast to southwest. The communication with the Gulf of Mexico is through a narrow mouth, 0.46 Km. wide, in the farthest southern part of the lagoon. Mangrove forest (59%) These
mangrove swamps are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth. The
mangroves are highly efficient converters of sunlight into organic material.
This material in turn feeds countless invertebrates, which are themselves
consumed by numerous fish, bird and mammal species. Petenes or "hummocks" (2%) Ecosystems by themselves, hummocks are "islands of vegetation", endemic only in three parts of the world: the Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba and southern Florida. The life of these ecosystems turns around a cenote or sweet water spring. They are home to many species of wildlife and its main characteristic is the presence of precious hardwood like Chicle (Manilcara zapota), Chaca (Bursera simaruba), Tulipán (Malvaviscus arboreus), Cedar (Ficus tecolutensis) Anona (Annona glabra) and Sabal (Sabal yapa), among others, that can grow 25 meters high or more. The fact that they only exist in three relatively small regions of the world awards them of an extraordinary value that justifies the demands of guarantied conservation. Marshes (5%) Fauna The birds Over 300 bird species can be found in Celestun's Special Biosphere Reserve: cardinals, orioles, motmots, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, flycatchers, kingfishers, cormorants, magnificent frigate birds, herons, egrets, white ibises, wood storks, ospreys, hawks, vultures, sandpipers, roadrunners, owls, pelicans, etc. There are some endemic birds such as the Yucatan Wren, the Black-throated Bobwhite and the Mexican Shear tail Hummingbird. Celestun is considered the fourth largest wintering ground for ducks in the Gulf region. In winter you're likely to observe over 13 migrant duck species. But surely the most popular bird and the most sought after is the Pink Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber) The Flamingo is one of the most graceful and spectacular birds, but also one that depends on a fragile ecosystem - hyper saline lagoons - for survival. The Northern Hemisphere's only mainland flamingo population lives along the North and West Coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. The flamingo feeds and nests in flocks of several thousand birds huddled together in knee-deep water or wading along muddy salt flats. It feeds on small organisms that it filters from the water through a complex mechanism in its large, specially adapted bill. The reptiles Turtles From the 8 species surviving in the world, 7 exist in Mexico and 4 nest in the coasts of the Yucatan Peninsula: Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas mydas), Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta), Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). They spend their whole life in the water except for the brief moments the females come onto land to nest and lay their eggs. A female sea turtle arrives offshore at her nesting beach at night in the months of April, May, June or July. She might nest two or four times during a single nesting season. Though she is fast and well suited to the water, she is slow, awkward and in danger on land. She drops about one hundred white eggs that look like Ping-Pong balls into a hole that she previously scooped out using her back flippers. When she finishes, she covers the nest with sand and slowly lumbers back to the sea. The eggs are ready to hatch about two months later. All eight species are endangered or threatened. They are killed for meat and leather; their eggs are taken for food and aphrodisiacs. Their nesting sites go for development. They are ground up by dredges, run over by pleasure boats, poisoned by pollution, strangled by trash and drowned by fish line and net. Crocodiles They are two crocodile species in Mexico, the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) and the Moreleti crocodile (Crocodylus moreleti). The latter is found in the Celestun estuary. Despite their armor, which protects them from most predators, all crocodilians are threatened with extinction. Hunting of their skins for luxury leathers and destruction of their habitat have made humans responsible for their precarious situation. The order Crocodylia includes 3 families of the largest reptiles living today. They are a living vestige of a group called archosaurus of the Mesozoic Era, 225 - 65 million years ago. Their most characteristic features are internal. Despite their ancient history, they are the most advanced reptiles, having an enlarged brain and cerebral cortex indicating their increased ability to learn. Other
important reptiles can be found in the region such as land turtles,
boa constrictors, iguanas and geckos. Attractions Main wintering area for greater flamingos, nesting beaches for endangered sea turtles, endemic plants and birds in coastal dune scrubs; estuary "nurseries" for countless fish and marine species; highly productive mangrove communities; two endangered crocodile species; migrant and wintering water-birds, shorebirds and songbirds.
Warm
and semi arid. The annual mean temperature is 26.5 ºC, being May
the hottest month with 29 ºC in average, and the coolest, January
with 23 ºC. The annual precipitation goes up to 777 mm. The highest
monthly average rainfall is in September with 166 mm and the lowest
in March with 5.2 mm. More than 80% of the precipitation occurs during
the months of June to September.
The people of Celestún and Isla Arena are fishermen that migrated from other stats. The main activity is fishing and it contributes 50% of the octopus catch in Mexico. The second economic activity is the production of salt and in recent years tourism. Local Communities The name Celestun means "painted stone". The town is a picturesque coastal traffic port, with a revolving reflector lighthouse, 12 meters high, signaling 4 intermittent flashes. Its inhabitants, about 4,600, still preserve the traditions and folklore of the Mayan fisher folk. Culture & History In Celestun one can find Mayan arqueological sites in Punta Cambalam. Due to the fact that the area is swampy it remained almost uninhabited. In the beginnings of the XXth Century a salt production plant was built called "Real de Salinas". The community of Celestún and the surrounding villages were creted by the migration of fishermen from other areas. This area is administered by the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) with funding of GEF (Global Enviromental Fund) through the World Bank.
The demands from development by the local inhabitants have provoked changes in the use of the land which affect the dunes, wetlands and jungle. The custom of using the turtle's eggs as food is still going on. There are also problems with pollution caused by the use of agrochemicals, solid wastes, and oils being spilled in the waterways. The increasing flow of tourists to observe the flamingo has increased the boat traffic and hence disturbed the normal life of the bird colonies.
Research Presently there are seven projects being done in the reserve: hydrological studies, bird monitoring, recovery and protection of the wetlands, intensification and diversification of livestock production, surveillance, ecotourism, and environmental education.
Calle
18 No. 110 por Avenida Pérez Ponce, Director: Ing. José Bernardo de la Gala Méndez
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