Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
🇲🇽 Mexico
🦭 Manatees Drift Through the LagoonsSian Ka'an runs from Maya forest through mangrove and lagoon to the Caribbean reef, and most of it is seen from a boat. The lagoon system holds Antillean manatees and bottlenose dolphins, and green turtles feed in the bays year-round.
19.484° N 87.651° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
West Indian Manatee
Trichechus manatus
★ 
Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
★ 
Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
★ 
Central American Spider Monkey
Ateles geoffroyi
📊 Most Spotted
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Melanerpes aurifrons
Tropical Mockingbird
Mimus gilvus
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Melodious Blackbird
Dives dives
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Yucatán Jay
Cyanocorax yucatanicus
Brown Jay
Psilorhinus morio
Olive-throated Parakeet
Aratinga nana
Hooded Oriole
Icterus cucullatus
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
⭐ Iconic Species
★ West Indian Manatee
Trichechus manatus
★ Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
★ Central American Spider Monkey
Ateles geoffroyi
📊 Most Spotted
White-nosed Coati
Nasua narica
Mexican Black Howler Monkey
Alouatta pigra
Central American Agouti
Dasyprocta punctata
Yucatán Squirrel
Sciurus yucatanensis
Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Big-eared Climbing Rat
Ototylomys phyllotis
Lesser Dog-like Bat
Peropteryx macrotis
Deppe's Squirrel
Sciurus deppei
Northern Tamandua
Tamandua mexicana
Tayra
Eira barbara
Hatt's Vesper Rat
Otonyctomys hatti
📊 Most Spotted
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Melanerpes aurifrons
Tropical Mockingbird
Mimus gilvus
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Melodious Blackbird
Dives dives
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Yucatán Jay
Cyanocorax yucatanicus
Brown Jay
Psilorhinus morio
Olive-throated Parakeet
Aratinga nana
Hooded Oriole
Icterus cucullatus
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana
Ctenosaura similis
American Crocodile
Crocodylus acutus
Central American Boa
Boa imperator
Ghost Anole
Anolis lemurinus
Rodriguez's Anole
Anolis rodriguezii
Belize Crocodile
Crocodylus moreletii
Yellow-spotted Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus chrysostictus
Brown Basilisk
Basiliscus vittatus
Mexican Parrot Snake
Leptophis mexicanus
Rainbow Ameiva
Holcosus undulatus
Fer-de-lance
Bothrops asper
Gulf Coast Vine Snake
Oxybelis potosiensis
📊 Most Spotted
Mexican Smilisca
Smilisca baudinii
Central American Gulf Coast Toad
Incilius valliceps
Yucatán Casque-headed Tree Frog
Triprion petasatus
Mexican Burrowing Toad
Rhinophrynus dorsalis
Yucatán Salamander
Bolitoglossa yucatana
Browns' Frog
Lithobates brownorum
Veined Frog
Trachycephalus typhonius
Yucatan rainfrog
Craugastor yucatanensis
Black Jungle-Frog
Leptodactylus melanonotus
Sheep Frog
Hypopachus variolosus
Stauffer's Tree Frog
Scinax staufferi
Painted Tree Frog
Tlalocohyla picta
Recent sightings in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
2Green Turtle Nesting
Green turtles come ashore to nest on the reserve's beaches. CONANP records nesting in the Mexican Caribbean as starting in May.
3Manatees in the Lagoons
Antillean manatees feed in the shallow lagoon system, and bottlenose dolphins work the channels and bay mouths.
1Boreal Migrants Arrive
American redstarts and spotted sandpipers spread through the wetlands and mangrove.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Boreal Migrants Arrive
- 2Green Turtle Nesting
- 3Manatees in the Lagoons
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
We were traveling by boat and did not see any of these beauties on the land, but we did see manatees, dolphins, turtles, crocodiles, fish, and many different species of tropical birds.
We also saw pelicans, herons and ospreys during our trip.
For example, we saw egrets, herons, roseate spoonbills, magnificent frigate birds and of course the ubiquitous pelicans.
Mangroves in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve We spotted many pelicans at the Boca Paila bridge stop, where the canals connecting to the Chunyaxche lagoon meet the sea, and where you may be lucky and see crocodiles and even a manatee.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
The most likely sightings are Great-tailed Grackle (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Golden-fronted Woodpecker (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Tropical Mockingbird (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Social Flycatcher (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Melodious Blackbird (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 822 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve for wildlife?
May has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see West Indian Manatee in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a West Indian Manatee sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Green Sea Turtle in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Green Sea Turtle sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, based on 55 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Bottlenose Dolphin in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Bottlenose Dolphin sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, based on 65 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Central American Spider Monkey in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Central American Spider Monkey sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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