The name of Sian Ka’an means “spell or gift from heaven”, although there are other authors who recognize it as the “place where heaven is born”.

And there lives one of the oldest and most fascinating creatures in the world. A reptile that is a real life dinosaur and that is one of the most impressive views of Sian Ka’an. Home of two species of crocodiles, the Moreletti crocodile and the river crocodile, the latter being one of the most abundant in the Riviera Maya.

The river crocodile is the largest species that lives in America and one of the largest lizards that exist. They can exceed five meters in length and half a ton of weight. They have an elongated head and powerful jaws from which the teeth protrude when the mouth is closed. Its tail is long and strong, its legs short and wide. They are great swimmers, they spend most of the time submerged in the water.

When they are young they feed mainly on fish, but as they develop their diet increases and includes mammals of all kinds that they trap by ambushing them on the banks of freshwater bodies.

If you want to see it in its natural habitat, you can do it from the bridge that leads to Punta Allen in the nature reserve, or through a water tour that passes between the mangroves and you can generally see them resting among the mangroves.

Additionally, you can live an experience that only Tulum can offer you! If you want to swim with small crocodiles in the wild, you can visit the manatee cenote, where “Panchito” lives, a crocodile one and a half meters long, and although you must keep your distance and the view is very impressive, it will certainly be an experience that You will never forget. If you want to meet a smaller crocodile, you can go to the Angelita cenote, where you will be welcomed by a small crocodile of approximately 70 centimeters, which is said to be the heart of the cenote.