Very close to the Zotz camp you can find a watering hole in the southern part. The aquatic plants that prevail are the Lechuguilla de agua (Pistia stratiotis); Lentejas de agua (Lemna sp.) and (Salvinia sp.) lettuce had a very small white flower.
Everything together creates a very beautiful landscape. On the shore you can see a Zapotón, Pachira aquatica, which we have photographed in large numbers in the Municipality of Livingston, but you can hardly see it in Petén.
Aguada Lechuguilla – El Zotz. Drone Photo by Haniel López. February 17th
At least an hour by car from the first camp of the biotope you can reach the entrance of another of the watering holes of this site, in which if you are lucky you can see crocodiles (Crocodylus moreletii). Then you can go to the Laguna El Palmar, which is a bit complicated to observe, since there is a lot of vegetation growing around it. The team is prepared so we have a ladder which allowed us to have a better view of the place.
According to SIGAP (s.f.) “On the shore of the El Palmar lagoon the oldest occupation was found, where small human groups took advantage of the abundance of natural resources. For more than 900 years they developed their settlement, with an Astronomical Commemoration Complex and a Triadic group, both decorated with masks. In the year 100 A.D. the political headquarters moved to the top of the limestone escarpment, in search of defensive spaces.”
Written by Vivian Hurtado & Roxana Leal
Identified Species by Victor Mendoza
Posted March 10, 2022
