Petatán

Petatán is a fishing village on the Michoacán shore of Lake Chapala, in the municipality of Cojumatlán de Régules. It began as an island and is now joined to the shore as a small peninsula. For most of the year it lives from the lake's fish, but every autumn it gets famous visitors: thousands of American white pelicans, which fly down from Canada and the northern United States to spend the winter here.

In recent seasons the colony has numbered around 20,000 birds. They are enormous, with wingspans of up to about three meters, and they come for the fish. The village's fish-filleting trade leaves tonnes of scraps, and fishermen feed them to the pelicans, so the birds crowd the shore and the waterfront almost within arm's reach.

The town has embraced its guests. There is a malecón with benches for watching the sunset, boatmen offer rides out among the flocks, and stalls sell ceviche and snacks made with fish from the lake. In late February the village usually holds a pelican festival with music, dance and local crafts.