Where to go when in Latin America: Wildlife

We share where to go when to see the very best of Latin America's wildlife.

January

• Antarctica – Penguin chicks are beginning to hatch.

February

• Baja California, Mexico – Whale-watching season begins with the chance of seeing the friendly Grey whales, among other species.
• Antarctica – Penguin chicks are still hatching.

March

• Tortuguero, Costa Rica – Hawksbill and leatherback turtles begin to nest until June.
• Baja California, Mexico – Whale-watching season is well under way.

April

• Tortuguero, Costa Rica – Hawksbill and leatherback turtles are nesting.
• Baja California, Mexico – Whale-watching season starts to come to an end.

May

• Galápagos Islands, Ecuador – Waved albatrosses arrive on the archipelago.
• Pantanal, Brazil – Mammals are much more visible as the dry season begins.
• Tortuguero, Costa Rica – Hawksbill and leatherback turtles are nesting.

June

• Valdés Peninsula, Argentina – Southern Right whales begin to arrive.
• Amazon – Mammals are more visible as the dry season begins.
• Tortuguero, Costa Rica – Hawksbill and leatherback turtles are nesting but the season is coming to an end.

July

• Florianópolis, Brazil – Southern Right whales have made their way further north.
• Patagonia – This is the best time for spotting pumas in Torres del Paine, in particular.
• Tortuguero, Costa Rica – Green sea turtles begin to nest.

August

• Tortuguero, Costa Rica – Green sea turtles are nesting.
• Contadora Islands, Panama – This is the middle of the humpback whale-watching season in Panama (runs from July to September).

September

• Holbox, Mexico – This is the time to go swimming with whale sharks.
• Tortuguero, Costa Rica – Green sea turtles are nesting but the season is coming to an end.

October

• Michoacán, Mexico – Millions of Monarch butterflies arrive after their 4,000-km journey from eastern Canada.
• Galápagos Islands, Ecuador – Waved albatrosses’ courtship is at its peak.

November

• Pantanal, Brazil – Birdlife is prolific as the wet season begins creating a flooded wetland habitat.

December

• The Falkland Islands – By mid-December sea-lion and elephant seal pups have been weaned and are practising their swimming in pools close to the shore. Orcas can be seen circling Sea Lion Island waiting for vulnerable pups and other sources of food.

Browse our wildlife holidays for some more inspiration.
Find out where to go when to make the most of Latin America's many cultural festivals and where to go when to make the most of the continent's varied weather.