We often think of the Yucatán peninsula as our own backyard paradise. Fly a little bit more north and you reach the island tourist destination of Holbox, a travel site known for its majestic beaches and inconceivable beauty. Annually, the state pulls in around 1,500 tourists during peak season. This is an impressive number considering its size. Official releases from the island's tourist board describe Holbox as a "virgin harbor," despite the recent claims that its purity has been besmirched by a wave of feces. A series of sewage breakdowns in the Yucatán resort of Isla Holbox have prompted government officials to issue health warnings to both residents and tourists. This comes at the same time that the Mexican peninsula was also reported to have its own waste issues.

Emilio Jimenez, the mayor of the township of Lazaro Cardenas, which Holbox is a part of, who said that the situation was desperate. "On every street corner, there is a small sewer cistern. Right now, these are overflowing, and the liquid spilling out is urine. Of 81 cisterns, 21 are failing."