Cozumel Island is a highlight along the picturesque Mayan Riviera along the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. It lies about thirty minutes by car south from Cancun Airport and about 13 miles (20 kilometers) offshore from the mainland. Washed by the warm Caribbean Sea, it is a world famous beach and scuba vacation destination. Cozumel diving is a unique experience highly coveted by scuba enthusiasts all over the world.
The area is home to the biggest coral reef in on the planet (by area), next to the enormous Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The large Mayan Reef attracts thousands and thousands of snorkelers and divers every year from around the planet. It gained notoriety in the 1960s when the famous French underwater adventurer, Jacques Cousteau, gave the region prominence. Since then, its popularity has grown and grown, for good reason.
The Mayan Reef consists of many separate reefs, some in deep and others in shallow water. This creates many opportunities for divers and snorkelers of all ages and proficiencies. Each reef has its own special features. The Yucab, Chancanab and Paradise Reefs are among the most popular. The boat ride to Yucab and Paradise can be as thrilling as the dive; marlin and flying fish often leap from the water.
The area is particularly noted for its prolific drift diving opportunities. Divers float above the reef and allow themselves to be lazily pushed along by the gentle current. It is a very energy efficient form of diving, rarely needing to move a fin! Water temperature is warm all year long (ranging 25 to 30 degrees Celsius so that a wetsuit may not be needed.
Sunset dives are a favorite format. They involve two back-to-back dives, one before sundown and one shortly after. Divers get to see an amazingly large range of marine life. These dive trips depart the wharf mid-afternoon at about 1500 hours.
The Chancanab Reef requires only a short boat trip; it lies about a thousand feet from the shore. This makes it very popular with snorkelers. Moreover, it sits in shallow water at a maximum depth of 70 feet (20 meters). Both these features make it ideal as a training ground for new beginners. Marine life is prolific at the reef; species include coral heads, sea fans, clown fish, butterfly fish, angel fish and snapper.
The Yucab reef forms part of the Parque Marino de Cozumel and is located south of Playa San Francisco. There are many beautiful and unusual coral formations. It is ideal for beginner divers because of its large shallow depth (40-55 feet) area. The Yucab reef has several levels and so allows both shallow and deep dives. The current allows drift diving down through a large range of depths. The reef almost always has amazing visibility. Marine life includes sharks, turtles, lion fish, grouper, eels and myriads of smaller multi-colored tropical fish. The Yucab Reef is a fine example of all that Cozumel diving has to offer.
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Cozumel Diving A Top Class Experience To Remember
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