Just steps away from the Jaguar Island and Bat cave, the fresh springs from the underground rivers that flow naturally through the geological formations of Xcaret Park, reach the surface at the Manatee Lagoon and provide the perfect home for two beautiful manatees. 

Manatees inhabit the warm tropical waters of the Mexican Caribbean, mostly in mangrove canals, underwater caves and lagoons. But as the habitat of manatees has rapidly been destroyed and polluted by humans, their population has decreased and are now a species in danger of extinction in Mexico and protected by law.

So in efforts to help in the conservation of manatees, Xcaret Park worked to get the permits through the Mexican Environmental Protection Agency (PROFEPA) and the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, to host manatees in the parks facilities focused on the rescue and care of the animals.

Since August 2001, two orphan manatees that lived under improper conditions were rescued from a polluted lagoon in the Mexican state of Tabasco and transferred to Xcaret Park. 

Nohoch and Pompon are the two adult manatees (female and male) that were lodged in a natural lagoon in Xcaret Park and remain part of several scientific and medical research projects. They are supervised by special veterinarians and qualified staff that feed them and take care of all their needs, and are now one of the top attractions of Xcaret Park.   

The manatees at Xcaret Park are calm, slow swimmers that reach more than one meter of length, and can be admired from a close distance. All Xcaret Tickets include access to the Manatee Lagoon from the Xcaret Basic entrance to the most personalized Xcaret Tour (Xcaret Plus, Xcaret Two Days).