Laguna Manatí: From Dump to Thriving Wildlife Haven

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Once a dumping ground for construction debris, Laguna Manatí has undergone a remarkable transformation into a thriving ecological sanctuary. The 234-hectare wetland, now a state-protected reserve, serves as a vital green lung within Cancún’s urban sprawl, hosting over 130 documented species of flora and fauna.

A Testament to Restoration

During a weekend visit to the site, Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa hailed the lagoon’s revival as a triumph of community action and political commitment. “Nature can heal if we care for it with love, dedication, and concrete steps,” she stated.

Declared a Natural Protected Area (Ecological Conservation Zone) on August 9, 1999, by state decree, Laguna Manatí initially faced neglect despite its legal status. Much of its designated area was overrun by illegal dumping, garbage, and encroachment, though the decree recognized its ecological value for its mangroves, fish populations, crocodiles, and birdlife.

Challenges and Resilience

For years, the wetland suffered institutional abandonment, recurring pollution, and illicit activities such as crocodile poaching and illegal waste disposal. Today, it supports migratory birds, swamp crocodiles, raccoons, opossums, and freshwater and brackish fish. The lagoon is also home to all four mangrove species native to Mexico: red, white, black, and buttonwood.

Birdwatchers can spot tricolored and blue herons, jacanas, burrowing owls, limpkins, and kingfishers, alongside dragonflies, turtles, and a growing diversity of fish. The return of previously absent species, including sloths, underscores the ongoing ecological recovery.

Guardians of the Lagoon

Governor Lezama credited the resurgence to local community guardians—Mónica, Gerardo, Diana, Arturo, Noemí, Gustavo, María Luisa, Andrés, and Albertico—who have fiercely defended the site. She urged continued vigilance to keep the reserve free of waste, promote participatory environmental education, and protect endangered wildlife.

“We must be citizens who monitor, care for, and lead by example,” Lezama emphasized, reaffirming her administration’s commitment to safeguarding Quintana Roo’s ecosystems. “Protecting our more than 300,000 hectares of state and federally protected areas is a shared responsibility. Let’s keep being part of the solution.”