Akumal--Last Day

It's blowing quite hard again today, good thing we went snorkeling yesterday, visibility won't be as good today. At dawn I went up to roof-top terrace to look at medow (or treeless area) just west of our building. I scanned the edges for quite a while. My patience was rewarded, albeit with a rather ordinary and less than exotic animal: a good-sized racoon. I sat at the edge of a small clearing in the mangrove, looking around, scratching and after at least two minutes slowly continuing its way. When I had seen the open areas earlier, I had wondered how to reach them. Observing the racoon, I realized that even if I would reached the meadows, I would probably have a hard time getting along: there was water surrunding the racoon and the early morning light revealed water in many other places.

I returned to Laguna Legartos after my jog. Saw a big flock of the little blue herons, three cormorans and a parrot in flight. I walked across a rock outcropping that I had thought to be a peninsula. Now I realize that it is almost a bridge connecting the SW side of the lagoon with the NE where I saw the continuation of the trail. There was short stretch that required a few steps of wading. I did no want to do this in my running shoes so I relented.

Akumal Halfmoon Bay Beach

Finally less wind, which means fewer waves and less surf. There are still whitecaps but by far not as many as ealier in the week and the sea has by and large a friendlier appearance. I had writen off the two dives I had hoped to do but I would at least get some snorkeling in. James and I went out, the water clarity was much improved over our forays earlier in the week. Quite a few fish, at one time James and I were surrounded by a large school of mullets tha seemed to be circling us. We did not see the baracudas though a fisherman had promised. Lots of fan and brain coral. Lynn, Colin and Mac relieved us when we were tired. James said he saw a turtle. After the boys returned to the flat and Lynn settled in her lounger I went for another round. Saw two turtles a small one and a larger one, and more fish, in many different colors.

I love to follow te pelicans on their hunt for fish. It is amazing how a bird as large and heavy looking (I heard they are actually quite light) are able to survive a plunge into the water without any damage. I also seem to recall that they stun their prey by hitting it with their bodies (see here).

Sian Kaan Biosphere Day Trip

Our ride was there at 7:50 sharp, with Antonio our guide from Sian Ka'an Community Tours for the day and the driver. Loaded three sleepy boys, Lynn, myself and snorkling gear. Then off to Tulum for financials and to pick up two other clients, a German couple from Garmisch. A quick Chili Relenos taco from a roadside stand and then off to start the activities of the day. We started at the Muyil archeological site. Hot and stuffy in the jungle, just off Mex 307, a few miles south of Tulum. Saw a trogon but not much other wildlife, probably too hot already. The Muyil ruins are nice and almost deserted. Antonio, a local Mayan did a great job mixing natural and local history. Brought the perspective of the natives, too, who have a hard time eking out a living in spite of all the tourist development. Shared a lot of stories about his dad and from the time prior to the road passing by Muyil. He pointed out some poisonous and medicinal plants, most notably the chechen tree (also black poisonwood. looks like it is a good furniture wood, which Antonio mentioned too.) and was quite knowledgeable about the local fauna in general and bird life specifically.

Some landmarks we visited can be found here. We took a boardwalk trail from the archeological site to a lagoon, stopping on the way to climb a rickety looking fire tower. After a snack, we boarded a motor boat and headed across Laguna Muyil for a canal dug by the Mayans which we took to cross to Laguna Chunyaxche. From here we haded to the river outlet towards Laguna Boc Paila and stopped at a Mayan ruin, a customs post or toll house, according to Antonio. We changed in to swim gear and floated down the river. I have to say that I am not a big fan of floating inactively like that, but the mangrove thickets on the side gave some interesting observations, primarily various epiphytic plants. The boys moved ahead, like a bunch of otters, making sure that we would not see too much bird life.

After about a couple of kilometers we boarded the boat again and headed back to Laguna Muyil for a nice sit-down lunch of tamales, tacos and empanadas. There was a film crew working on a promotional video to advertse tours. The actors, all employees at hotels in the Playa del Carmen area somehow did not seem real.

On the way back to Akumal, we stopped at Cenote Escondido, a beautiful swimming hole with a nice cliff to jump from. Quite a variety of fish, too, and a big iguana in a tree.

A few hundred meters before arriving back ome I noticed some people looking and pointing intently at something at the roadside. There was an aguti, a rodent that takes the place of a rabbit or hare in Central and South America.

Gran Cenote, Tulum

Gran Cenote is on the road to Coba, about 5km outside of Tulum, entrance fee 100 Pesos/person. From outside, it looks like a cheap road-side attraction, but the cenote is spectacular. If you are snorkeling with a dive light, you can point the beam into holes of bottomless blackness, framed by white stalactites. Point your beam to the ceiling of the caves and you will find some bats awaiting dusk. They may be stirred out of their rest by the flashlight. The water is of a spectacular clarity.

Akumal is changing

Greg keeps telling me that when he came down here 25 years or so ago, for much of the way from Cancun the road was so narrow that the crowns of the trees from opposite sides of the road were touching. Now it's a 4 lane highway, from the looks of it soon to be a freeway. Major resorts and small towns, Akumal included, are building bridges across the expressway. Farewell sleepy Riviera Maya! On the upside, they do take recycling serious here. every building, every hotel and restaurant has recycling containers for various items. This is better than what you'll find at Florida condo complees (at least the ones I have visited) and Wisconsin or UP of Michigan recreational areas.
The sea is still quite rough today. Nevertheless James and I wen out for a little snorkle tour. Visibility was quite a bit better, alas no turtles.
Turtles galore on the other hand at Laguna Legartos. I couldn't count all the heads poking out from between the algea. Also, an interesting wading bird with gigantic feet and a relatively short beak, walking on top of the water plants, an my two cormorants diving and heartily feasting on fish. On the way there, I saw an orange oriole and a tropical mockingbird. Took a spur going W from the main trail, well marked with a little stone pyramid and found a sinkhole, partially submerged. Somebody is going through quite a bit of trouble maintaining these trails and breaking new ones, like the one to the sink hole.
Went to Yal Ku lagoon for some snorkling. Too late, already very busy and the water was quite troubled. Fortunately, the closer we got to the inlet, the clearer the water got. Like before, tons of fish, mostly Seargent majors but many others, too. Good way to spend the morning! Mac had a grea time, too.

Akumal Observations

At Laguna Legartos Little purple fish fistily defending its territory A succer-type fish I seem to recall from my aquarium Cattle egrets roosting in shrubbery and trees. A brooding colony? Several little blue herons (did not seem that little to me) mixed in with the cattle egrets, for contrast, say Two cormorans, very close A turtle, swimming under water Everywhere: great-tailed grackles A grackle-like bird with a beautiful iridescent blue plumage A type of oriole Several kingbirds At the beach Frigatbirds Brown pelicans, remind me of Sanderlings Green herons?

Akumal--Laguna Legartos

This was fun, meant to get started jogging in hot weather and explore the area a little bit.


View Akumal--Laguna Legartos Survey in a larger map
Laguna Legartos was one of my main goals and I found it! Needed a little help from the friendly folks at the Centro Ecologico Akumal. They pointed out the general location of the trail head (near the police post), not without warning me of the apparently omnipresent crocodiles. I had a sense that they did not want me back there, more because they wanted it to be quiet and peaceful for the animals. There was no trail behind the police post, so I started checking out each one of the little trail starts from the beach road. Most were just short spurs used by the locals to dispose of yard waste. I am sure that some of the passer-bys thought "What is this weirdo doing there." My persistence paid off: I found a trail that kept going, well defined by stones lining the sides. After a few hundert meteres I got to a trail that branched off and lo, there was the Laguna, spread out below me. It is surrounded by limestone walls (cliff or bluff would be too much, hey are not much higher than 2-3 meters). By now it was almost dark and I returned to the main road, fully intending to build this into my morning jog.