In February, a gray whale mother in a Baja lagoon may push her calf up against your boat to be touched, while a thousand kilometres east, millions of monarch butterflies are lifting off the fir trees of Michoacán in the midday sun. Mexico’s wildlife runs on a calendar, and planning around it is the difference between a sighting and an empty sea.
The country sits where North and South American wildlife overlap, with deserts in the north, cloud forest and rainforest in the south, and two oceans. That gives it jaguars, howler and spider monkeys, more than 1,100 bird species, and six of the world’s seven sea turtle species nesting on its beaches. The easiest big encounters are marine: whales off Baja California Sur and Puerto Vallarta, and whale sharks off Holbox.
For park fees, access and the landscapes themselves, see our national parks guide. This page is about the animals, where your odds are best and when.
At a Glance#
- Gray whales: January to early April in the lagoons of the El Vizcaíno sanctuary near Guerrero Negro, and in Magdalena Bay, peaking in February and March.
- Humpbacks: December to March in Banderas Bay off Puerto Vallarta and off Los Cabos.
- Whale sharks: about June to mid-September off Holbox and Isla Mujeres, and about October to April in the bay of La Paz.
- Monarch butterflies: November to March in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, best in late January and February.
- Flamingos and waterbirds: Celestún and Ría Lagartos in Yucatán, and the lagoons of Sian Ka’an.
- Jungle wildlife: howler and spider monkeys, ocellated turkeys and toucans at Calakmul and Palenque.
- Sea turtles: nesting beaches on the Oaxaca coast near Puerto Escondido, and green turtles feeding in the bay at Akumal.
Whales in Baja and the Pacific#
Pacific gray whales swim from the Arctic to give birth in three Baja lagoons: Ojo de Liebre near Guerrero Negro, San Ignacio, and Magdalena Bay, the closest to La Paz. Licensed pangas take small groups out for an hour or two at a time, and in February and March curious mothers often bring calves right up to the boat. Only local cooperatives may run trips, and the numbers of boats in the lagoons are capped.
Humpbacks breed in warmer water further south. From December to March they breach and sing in Banderas Bay off Puerto Vallarta and around the cape at Cabo San Lucas, where you can sometimes see them from the shore. Boat trips run daily from both towns. In the Sea of Cortez off Loreto, blue and fin whales feed in late winter and early spring.
Sharks, rays and sea lions#
Whale sharks gather each summer in plankton-rich water north of Isla Contoy, between Holbox and Isla Mujeres. Tours run from about late May or June to mid-September, best in July and August; you snorkel beside the sharks in pairs with a guide, and touching them is prohibited. In the bay of La Paz, younger whale sharks feed close to shore from about October to April, with stricter limits on boats and swimmers.
Also from La Paz, boats go to the sea lion colony at Los Islotes off Isla Espíritu Santo, where the pups come to play with snorkellers, especially from autumn into winter. The Revillagigedo Islands, a liveaboard trip from Los Cabos, are known for giant manta rays that approach divers. On the Caribbean side, the reefs off Cozumel and the bay at Akumal have turtles, rays and reef fish; see our beaches guide for the coast.
Monarch butterflies#
The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve on the border of Michoacán and the State of Mexico is where the eastern monarchs of North America spend the winter, packed onto oyamel firs at about 3,000 m. They arrive from late October, and the best viewing is from late January to February, when warm sunny days set the colonies flying. El Rosario and Sierra Chincua are reached from Angangueo; Piedra Herrada near Valle de Bravo is the easiest from Mexico City. Local guides lead you to the colony, and you stay behind a rope and keep quiet.
Birds and flamingos#
Mexico is one of the richest birding countries on earth, with more than 1,100 species and many found nowhere else. American flamingos are the headline: boats leave the beach and the bridge at Celestún, about 90 minutes from Mérida, with the biggest flocks from about November to March. Ría Lagartos, on the north coast of Yucatán, holds the main breeding colonies, and boat trips there also pass pink salt ponds, crocodiles and herons. Keep boats well back from the birds.
Sian Ka’an, south of Tulum, has spoonbills, frigatebirds and herons along its mangrove channels, with dolphins in the bays. On the Pacific, San Blas in Nayarit is a classic birding town, with boat trips through mangroves at dawn. In San Luis Potosí, thousands of swifts and parakeets spiral out of the 370 m deep Cave of Swallows at dawn and dive back in at dusk.
Jungle wildlife#
Calakmul, deep in the forest of southern Campeche, is the best place in Mexico for jungle wildlife. The road through the biosphere reserve to the ruins is one long wildlife drive: ocellated turkeys strut across the car park, howler and spider monkeys feed in the trees above the pyramids, and toucans, parrots and coatis are common. It is one of the jaguar strongholds of Mesoamerica, though sightings are rare. At dusk, a cloud of bats pours out of a sinkhole near the reserve road.
At Palenque, in Chiapas, howler monkeys roar from the forest around the ruins at dawn. The Lacandon rainforest beyond, around Bonampak, has scarlet macaws and guided jungle walks, and crocodiles bask on the banks of the Sumidero Canyon.
Sea turtles#
Turtles nest on both coasts. On the Oaxaca coast near Puerto Escondido, olive ridleys come ashore in their thousands in mass nestings called arribadas, mainly in the summer and autumn rainy season, and the village of Mazunte has a turtle centre. Lagunas de Chacahua and the Riviera Maya beaches have nesting camps too. At Akumal, green turtles graze seagrass in the bay all year; snorkelling there is allowed only in marked zones with a licensed guide.
Many beaches run hatchling releases at dusk in the late summer and autumn. Choose camps run by registered conservation groups, do not touch the hatchlings or use a flash, and never buy turtle products.
Planning and ethics#
Most wildlife seasons fall in the dry months from November to April: whales, monarchs, flamingos and the best birding. Summer is the time for whale sharks in the Caribbean and turtle nesting on the Pacific. Our best time to visit Mexico guide has the month by month detail.
For marine trips, use licensed operators: in whale and whale-shark areas the boats carry a permit, and the number of swimmers in the water is limited. Protected areas charge a daily conservation fee, often as a wristband. Bring binoculars, start at dawn, and use reef-safe sunscreen or a rash vest in the water.
Responsible wildlife watching
Skip swim-with-captive-dolphin parks, photo sessions with monkeys or big cats, and anywhere that lets you hold wild animals. Never touch whale sharks, turtles or coral, do not feed wildlife, and do not buy products made from turtle shell, coral or wild animals.
For more wildlife trips nearby see our North America wildlife guide and the world’s best wildlife destinations. If you want to hike to the wildlife, our Mexico hiking guide covers the trails.
Best places for wildlife in Mexico#
_at_Sian_Ka'an_Biosphere_Reserve,_Mexico.jpg){kind=link}
More Things to Do#
Mexico wildlife FAQs#
When is whale watching season in Mexico?
From December to April. Gray whales are in the Baja lagoons from January to early April, peaking in February and March, and humpbacks are off Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos from December to March.
Where can I swim with whale sharks in Mexico?
Off Holbox and Isla Mujeres from about June to mid-September, and in the bay of La Paz from about October to April. Go with a licensed operator; you swim in small groups and must not touch the sharks.
Where can I see flamingos in Mexico?
At Celestún, about 90 minutes from Mérida, where boats visit the flocks from about November to March, and at Ría Lagartos on the north coast of Yucatán, where they breed.
Can you see jaguars in Mexico?
Rarely. Calakmul in Campeche and the Lacandon forest in Chiapas hold healthy populations, but jaguars are shy and mostly nocturnal. You are far more likely to see their tracks, or monkeys, toucans and ocellated turkeys.
Where can I see sea turtles in Mexico?
Green turtles feed in the bay at Akumal all year, with guided snorkelling only. Olive ridleys nest in huge numbers on the Oaxaca coast in the rainy season, and many beaches hold hatchling releases in late summer and autumn.
Is it ethical to swim with dolphins in Mexico?
Captive dolphin parks are widespread on the Riviera Maya, but animal welfare groups advise against them. See dolphins in the wild instead, on boat trips in Sian Ka’an, Banderas Bay or the Sea of Cortez.