Flock of Pink Flamingos in shallow water at sunset
© Jonathan Ross/iStock/Getty Images Plus
A bird's paradise
Clear across the Yucatán Peninsula from Caribbean resorts like Cancún, you'll find the town of Celestún set along the shallow Gulf of Mexico. As with the opposite coast's tourist hotspots, you'll meet many colorful types here. Flocks of snowbirds, the occasional year-rounder. But we're not talking about hard-partying vacationers: During winter, these warm, mangrove-bounded waters host not only flamingos but also herons, pelicans, and many other migratory birds. In all, more than 300 bird species make the Ría Celestun Biosphere Reserve home at least part of the year.
Painted Stork soaring with green foliage
Black-winged Stilts criss-cross kiss, shallow water, golden hour
Northern Gannets courtship
Brown Pelican on rock
Flock of Pink Flamingos in shallow water at sunset
Young brown and white swan swimming at sunset
American White Pelicans
Australian Pelican, Dune-backed estuary, Australia
