Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
🇲🇽 Mexico
Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico 822 spp. recorded
Sian 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
🦜 Nature
434 Species sighted
89,498 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Apr Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
+ 462 more species with insufficient data
Recent sightings in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
48Jan
49Feb
49Mar
50Apr
49May
42Jun
39Jul
40Aug
41Sep
47Oct
46Nov
46Dec
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
North park edge
Daily sight. prob.vs avg
Great-tailed Grackle~90%+10%
Social Flycatcher~90%+20%
Yellow-spotted Spiny Lizard~80%+60%
Great Kiskadee~80%+20%
Central American Gulf Coast Toad~70%+50%
Turkey Vulture~60%≈
Mexican Smilisca~50%+40%
Brown Basilisk~50%+30%
Black Vulture~50%-10%
Melodious Blackbird~40%-20%
Central American Boa~40%+10%
Rainbow Ameiva~40%+20%
-
Zona Arqueológica Muyil (Chunyaxché)
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
Punta Allen (pueblo)
Daily sight. prob.vs avg
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana~90%+40%
Bottlenose Dolphin~80%+40%
Tropical Mockingbird~70%≈
Golden-fronted Woodpecker~60%-10%- Great-tailed Grackle~60%-20%
- Black Vulture~60%≈
American Crocodile~50%+10%- Turkey Vulture~40%-20%
- Central American Boa~40%+10%
- Great Kiskadee~40%-20%
- Social Flycatcher~40%-30%
Olive-throated Parakeet~20%-30%
-
Puente Boca Paila
Daily sight. prob.vs avg- American Crocodile~90%+50%
- Black Spiny-tailed Iguana~80%+30%
- Tropical Mockingbird~60%-20%
- Great-tailed Grackle~60%-20%
West Indian Manatee~40%+10%- Black Vulture~40%-20%
- Golden-fronted Woodpecker~30%-40%
White-nosed Coati~30%-10%- Bottlenose Dolphin~30%-10%
Green Sea Turtle~30%-10%
Belize Crocodile~30%≈- Yellow-spotted Spiny Lizard~30%≈
-
Isla Pájaros Sian Ka'an (San Juan)
Daily sight. prob.vs avg
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Excellent
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
4.7
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 521
🐒 Mammals 168
🦎 Reptiles 108
🐸 Amphibians 25
822 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
29 Threatened 89 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
3.6
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
62% 📊
Coverage (217 species at ≥5% of 822 in the inventory)
26% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (12 bird)
0% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
149 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
16 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
28 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.3
Climate Pleasant High
Entrance Paid Low
Tourism High Low
Trails Easy High
World Heritage Yes Bonus
What visitors say
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.
Before you go
What animals can you see in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?
822 species
Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve has 822 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Great-tailed Grackle (about 80%), Tropical Mockingbird (about 70%), Golden-fronted Woodpecker (about 70%), Social Flycatcher (about 70%) and Melodious Blackbird (about 60%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Bottlenose Dolphin (about 40%); among reptiles, Black Spiny-tailed Iguana (about 50%); among amphibians, Central American Gulf Coast Toad (about 20%).
When is the best time to visit Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve for wildlife?
May
In that month the park's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 50% in July and September.
Can you see a 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 on a given day, based on 49 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July (about 50%).
Can you see a 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 on a given day, based on 142 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April and October (about 50%).
Can you see a 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 on a given day, based on 66 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April–May and September (about 50%).
Can you see a 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 on a given day, based on 89 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February, April–May, July and September (about 30%).
Where in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve is wildlife easiest to see?
Around North park edge
The richest sighting zone is around North park edge, followed by Zona Arqueológica Muyil (Chunyaxché) and Punta Allen (pueblo), ranked by how many of the park's headline animals visitors can expect to see in each. See the zones on the map.
Is Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve good for wildlife watching?
4.0 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve rates 4.0/5: 112th of 316 parks worldwide and 4th in North America. 36 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
