Celestun Day 2

So Day Two was all about the Ria Celestun and Reserva de la Biosfera Celestun.  After a Continental Breakfast, of fresh fruit topped with yogurt and granola, and homemade bread (I know huh, but they were out of eggs), fresh juice and coffee we headed off to the Reserva.

At breakfast we met and talked to Steffi and Wibke, two German sisters, on vacation.  Wibke is married to a Mexican national and lives close to Monterrey, MX, and her sister Steffi was visiting from Munich in Germany.  Wibke had her two adorable children with her on the trip, and we actually enjoyed two days of breakfast with the sisters and kids.

We had taken the 1-hour boat ride back in April or May, but it just wasn’t long enough.  This time we opted for the 2-hour boat trip which was just about perfect. Before boarding the boat I had an opportunity to photograph a Northern Raccoon up close and personal.  She wasn’t domesticated, but she was habituated.  In other words she wasn’t a pet, but she was used to people.  She was wild, and not a captive in anyway, and probably would take your finger off if you were stupid enough to reach out to pet her.

Henry was our guide for the day, and we had the entire boat to ourselves—way COOL.  Just like when we sailed on Halong Bay in [North] Vietnam in 2008.  The peak of the Flamingo season is during the winter months, but the permanent population stays steady at about 10-15,000 birds (increasing to over 30,000 birds during the migratory season).

In addition the numerous Flamingos, we also saw Egrets, Osprey, Frigate Birds, Pelicans, Gulls and Cormorants.  A special treat was seeing and photographing the very rare (and endangered) Bare-throated Tiger Heron.  I had seen and photographed Tiger Heron’s in Costa Rica in 2010, but our guide told us that the Bare-throated Tiger Heron numbers less than 150 birds in the entire Yucatan.  I also photographed a very large Golden Orb Spider in the Mangrove Swamp, the same spider that I speculate bit me on the last visit.

Returning to Celestun from our morning trip we stopped for a Chelada and another Cocktail de la Camaron.  Delicious.  As evening approached we headed back to Restaurante Los Pampanos for Langosta a la Plancha (grilled lobster tails); we each had three tails apiece. Oh man!  Prior to dinner we had fresh Guacamole & Chips and Fried Fish Filet Strips.  I don’t usually order foo-foo chic drinks, but I ended up having three Planter’s Punches and getting appropriately shit-faced.  An AMAZING dinner.

Finally we walked back to the hotel on the beach, watched the sunset yet again, and turned in for a good nights sleep.  Incredible day at CELESTUN.