Mexico

Dive Sites in Mexico

• Barracuda Reef

  A popular site for divers when touring the north side of Cozumel, this remote low-lying reef is teamed with schools of Barracuda and pelagic fish. Sharks are also commonly observed at this site. With currents reach up to 2-3 knots, this site is for advanced divers only. For the adventurous, the northern part of Barracuda Reef, commonly known as San Juan Reef, is good area for drift diving. Sheet sponges, finger and wire corals can be found in this area. Large pelagics and gray reef sharks are also in abundance here. Another attraction of this area is Pino's Bowl, a natural amphitheatre. More info»

• Plane Wreck

  One of the most famous landmarks in Cozumel, this dive site is approximately 100 yards offshore. This 40 passenger Convair Airliner was sank to serve as a prop for a movie in 1977, and is now the home to many tropical marine life including parrotfish and sergeant majors. Octopus, flying gurnards, pufferfish, moray eels, and toadfish are commonly observed in this area as well. More info»

• La Ceiba

  An educational dive site for beginner divers, this site is a patch of coral reefs spanning 120 yards long. Starting from Cozumel's famous Plane Wreck dive site, this trail varies in depths or 20 - 40 ft, and is the home many different types of coral, including star coral, pillar coral, giant brain coral, fire coral sponges and gorgonians. There are 15 numbered stations along this trail for educating divers about the coral reef ecosystem. More info»

• Chancanab Reef

  Located several hundred yards offshore of Cozumel, Chancanab Reef is a 25 - 55 ft deep dive site made up of low profile rounded coral and sponge formations. A popular spot for night diving, where lobsters, basket starfish, moray eels, octopus, and stingrays are commonly observed. More info»

• Chancanab Caves

  A system of underwater caves located on the shore of Chancanab Lagoon. Some caves enters into the island for an unknown distance, and are for advanced divers. Snappers, striped grunts, and glass sweepers hang out in the outer cavern, which is approximately 30 feet across and 10 feet high. More info»

• Tormentos Reef

  Located directly offshore of Punta Tormentos, this 25 to 35 feet deep reef is the home to an abundance of arrow crabs, black crinoids, flamingo tongue shells, sea cucumbers, basket stars, and coral shrimp. More info»

• Yocab Reef

  Spanning 400 yards and running parallel to the shore, Yocab Reef is approximately one mile south of Punta Tormentos. The diversity of marine life is the main attraction here, with the north side's tall coral heads, caves, arches, and overhangs leading to the south side low-lying corals. Lobsters and crabs of frequently seen along the ocean bottom. Angelfish, triggerfish, trunkfish, barracuda, squirrelfish are in abundance. Some spectacular orange tube sponges and basket sponges can be sighted as well. More info»

• Cardona Reef

  This low-profile reef site is comprised of a series of ridges that run along the shore of Cozumel just north of San Francisco Reef. The large coral heads, overhangs, and long, algae-covered ledges create a genuinely unique habitat that is the home of marine life that cannot be found elsewhere on the island. Glasseye snapper, cardinalfish, squirrelfish and glassy sweeper are commonly seen in this area. Site depth ranges from 20 to 45 feet deep. More info»

• Santa Rosa

  A spectacular wall dive that is a popular destination for scuba divers. The wall starts in 60 feet of water, where tube, rope and vase sponges grow on coral at the wall's lip. The wall then drops into the abyss, with caves, large grottos, tunnels and giant sea fans dotting the wall along the way. French angelfish, jackfish, eagle rays, grunts, porkfish and snappers are frequently seen in this area, as well as an occaisional blacktip shark. More info»

• San Francisco Reef

  A colorful, long coral ridge about a half mile offshore from Cozumel's San Francisco Beach. Trumpetfish, tangs, groupers, angelfish, and filefish inhabit the large caverns found along the ridge. Depths range 25 - 60 ft, before sloping into the deep ocean. More info»

• Palancar Reef

  This expansive reef is the centerpiece of Cozumel scuba diving. Located one mile offshore and stretching three miles long, there is much to see at Palancar Reef and nearly impossible to cover in a single dive. Some of the tallest coral buttresses and pinnacles live in this area. On the north end of Palancar lies the *Palancar Gardens*, where brillant corals, sea fans and sponges can be seen. Coral tunnels penetrate deep into the gardens. In a shallower part of the reef sits the *Christ of Cozumel* statue at a depth of 33ft. Placed there in May 3, 1985, this statue was created by Mexican sculptor Enrique Miralda and was the brainchild of the famous Mexican underwater filmmaker Ramon Bravo. It serves as inspiration to the preservation of Cozumel's beautiful reef systems. By far the most popular area of Palancar is *La Herradura* or, *The Horseshoe*. The Horsehoe is formed by large coral heads which grew up and around a deep drop-off, and is inhabited by a plethora of marine life. More info»

• Columbia Reef

  Oddly shaped coral formations are the sight du jour of this reef just south of the Palancar Reefs. Plate corals and large sea fans line these huge coral columns, along with some anemones and sponges. Blue chromis, squirrelfish and angelfish call the caves in this area home, while giant sea turtles, groups, and jackfish can occaisionally be seen around this area. More info»

• Maracaibo Reef

  This deep reef is for advanced scuba divers only. Located at the southermost tip of Cozumel, this reef has some of the most spectacular sights for those adventurous enough to brave the strong open ocean currents. Large coral buttresses, caves and tunnels abound. A large variety of sharks are found in this area -- hammerheads, tigers, bulls, lemons and makos -- as well as occaisional eagle and manta rays. More info»