Celestun

Celestun is a town located in the biosphere region of the Yucatan peninsula, along the Gulf coast.  It is home to tens of thousands of Flamingos, as well as many other species of birds, flora, and fauna.  Our first activity in Celestun was to take a boat ride out into the very shallow bay (the water, even at high tide, is not much over five feet).  A line of pink in the distance turned into thousands of flamingos feeding, close up:

We went to a freshwater spring inside the mangrove forest (on the edge of the bay), to swim and see three juvenile Bare-throated Tiger Herons in a tree:

Some of the other great birds we saw were thousands of Magnificent Frigatebirds, hundreds of Brown and White Pelicans, plus numerous Cormorants (2 species), Egrets, and Herons, including great looks at the charming Boat-billed Heron.  We also had a good look at another personable bird, the tiny Pygmy Kingfisher.  

Later, after lunch, the students took another swim in the Gulf, and buried international student Hae Son Lee, in the sand:

One of the hotel Toucans poses for a shot: