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The diving technique used at Cozumel’s reefs is drift diving, whereby divers make use of the constant ocean currents to make their way through the reefs. With current speeds as fast as 1-2 knots, you'll find that you will be able to cover more distance on one tank of air then you might at other diving destinations. Here are some of the most popular dive sites: Paradise Reef – Caleta (Maximum Depth – 12m)
Expect to see crab, lobster and multicoloured tropical fish. Look closely under ledges and in holes and you're likely to spy the reclusive Toad Fish reputed to live nowhere in the world other than Cozumel. Paradise reef is the island's most popular night diving location.
Santa Rosa Wall – Santa Rosa (Maximum Depth – 30m)
File clams, many species of hermit crab and thousands of tiny gobies and blennies flitting in bursts over the corals and sponges. Barracuda and large specimens of the back grouper shelter under the overhangs. Only when you use an underwater torch does true beauty of the reef reveal itself. One of the most distinctive of the small reef fish is the fairy basslet. The front half of its body is a brilliant violet-to-purple and its rear is a deep yellow/gold. Strong currents and average visibility of 25m make it a good drift dive. It is the best known and most popular wall dive.
Chankanaab Reef - Chankanaab Park (Maximum Depth – 16m)
Striped grunt, mahogany snapper, starfish, octopi and morays can be seen. Chankanaab is another good location for night diving.
Tormentos Reef - Tormentos (Maximum Depth – 18m)
Schools of creole wrasse move over the reef, bermuda chub and yellowtail snapper are well used to being fed by divers. This is an excellent place to take photos.
Yucab Reef - Yucab (Maximum Depth – 15m)
Barracuda are almost always seen here. The current is usually strong.
Palancar Reef- Palancar beach (Maximum Depth – 30m)
Expect to see enormous stovepipe sponges, vivid yellow tube sponges, damselfish, parrotfish and angelfish. At the deeper parts of the reef you will find black corals.
Colombia Reef – Colombia Lagoon (Maximum Depth – 36m)
Sea turtles, groupers and spotted eagle rays are frequently seen here.
Maracaibo Reef – Punta Celerain (Maximum Depth – 36m)
Punta Sur Reef - Punta Sur Park (Maximum Depth – 30m)
Suitable only for those divers with advanced certification. You will be impressed by the cave system and the butterfly fish, angelfish and whip corals that are found here.
Horseshoe Reef – Palancar (Maximum Depth – 24m)
Airplane Wreck - International pier (Maximum Depth – 15m)
The remains of the aircraft are now home to a large assortment of grunts, snapper, hermit crabs, numerous shrimps and several species of blenny all compete for space among the sea fans and plumes which are common feature of all Caribbean reefs.
C-53 Felipe Xicotenantl Wreck - Chankanaab Park (Maximum Depth – 24m)
The barge is 56 metres (154 ft) long by 10 metres (33 ft) Wide and 12 metres (40ft) in Height and sits upright on the sea bed. There are two safe access points to the interior. The barge is a superb night dive and excellent to photograph. There are large green moray eels and outstanding numbers of black, Nassau, and other large grouper that can be seen around the wreck. |
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Paradise (Paraiso) Reef is actually a series of three separate reefs
running parallel to the shore approximately 200 metres (328ft) off the
beach. All 3 sections are abundant with marine life including seas fans,
star corals and brain corals.
The Santa Rosa Reef or Wall offers great beds of tunicates, immense
sponges, huge overhangs of stony corals and impressive caves and tunnels
and swim throughs. Expect to see translucent sponges, angelfish,
parrotfish, triggerfish and groupers.
Chankanaab Reef is just South of Laguna Chankanaab. The coral formations
and marine life are similar to, but a little less populated than
Paradise Reef.
The reef consists of around 60 separate coral heads covered in a wide
variety of brain corals, sea fans, sponges and whip corals. Look for
coral shrimp, arrow crab, lobsters, deep-sea fans and sea cucumbers.
Yucab Reef is 120 metres long and lies fairly close to the shore and is
alive with squirrel fish, butterfly fish, angelfish, parrotfish, star
coral, brain coral, sponge and sea whip.
The reef most identified with Cozumel is actually a series of
spectacular coral formations. Stretching over 5 kilometres (3 miles),
this reef has winding ravines, deep canyons, passageways, archways and
tunnels.
The quality of diving here is at least as spectacular as any part of
Palancar. This Deep dive is comprised of a series of gigantic coral
pinnacles, canyons, caves, tunnels and ravines. Here you'll experience a
unique sensation liken to floating around the Rocky Mountains.
The most challenging dive spot in Cozumel is known for its strong
currents. The reef features a spectacular multitude of caves, crevices
and swim throughs, requiring an entire day to explore. The coral
formations here are huge.
This is a deep wall dive where the adventurous can explore the Devil's
Throat. This dark tunnel opens up into a sunlit Cathedral cave with
large sponges and stone deposits forming a large cross on the cave's
ceiling where the light enters.
One of the best dive sites in the Caribbean. The Horseshoe is a series
of tightly packed giant coral heads forming a natural horseshoe rising
30 metres to the surface. Former home of the Christ statue (which now
stands in Chankanaab Park), this is still Palancar's busiest deep dive.
Remember to take a torch with you to pick out the true colours of the
animals and corals.
A DC3 40 passenger Convair airliner lies 100 metres off El Cid’s Hotel
pier. Sunk in 1977 it is now home to numerous small coral heads which
have large numbers of Christmas tree worms.
The C-53 was sunk in 1999 just off shore from Chankanaab Park. It is now
completely overgrown with marine life. There are many different corals
and marine life.
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