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Cozumel
Dive Site Descriptions |
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Cozumel Dive Sites
Cozumel has excellent diving spread out over many miles. Many sites have current, but that's one of the main attractions of diving here, along with the fantastically clear water. Visibility is usually a hundred feet or more. Site Descriptions
Bajo de Molas (Coral heads) ? Coral Head's marine life includes rays, sharks and sea turtles. Caution: strong current. Depth: 40 to 80 feet. Barracuda ? A place, not the fish. Marine life includes large angelfish, nurse sharks, rays and other large fish. Mountainous coral ridges with peaks at 70 feet sloping into an abyss. Caution: strong current. Cantarell (SandBank) ? Sponges and soft coral scattered across a large sandbank. Marine life includes nurse sharks, rays, sea turtles and other large fish. Depth: 35 to 90 feet sloping into an abyss. Cardona ? Varied coral and abundant marine life. Excellent for snorkeling. Depth: 18 to 30 feet. Chankanaab Park ? Coral heads and scattered coral with abundant marine life. A 14-foot-tall statue of Jesus Christ and a smaller statue of the Virgin Mary are among the underwater sites in Chankanaab Park . Excellent for shore diving. Depth: 20 feet. Chankanaab Reef ? Coral heads and abundant marine life, including sea turtles, rays, grouper and amberjacks. Depth: 50 to 90 feet, falling off into an abyss. Chankanaab (Shallow) ? Lobster and large crab species, various coral formations and abundant marine life. Excellent for night diving. Depth: 30 to 50 feet. Chen Rio ? Scattered coral and varied marine life. Depth: 60 feet, then sloping into an abyss. Colombia (Deep) ? Varied marine life, including large sea turtles, rays and nurse sharks, are found at a depth of 60 feet. Coral pillars -- 50 feet high -- rise from a depth of 90 feet, before the reef slopes to the ocean floor.
Colombia (Shallow) ? Varied coral and abundant marine life. Excellent for snorkeling. Depth: 30 feet. Chun Chacaab ? Scattered coral on a sandy bottom with large fish in abundance. Caution: strong current. Depth: 80 feet. El Islote ? Scattered coral and varied marine life. Depth: 40 to 80 feet. El Mirador ? Scattered coral and varied marine life. Caution: dangerous undertow. Depth: 35 feet.
La Francesa ? Small sand hills with scattered coral and sponges. Varied marine life, including nurse sharks, sea turtles and rays. Caution: strong current and fire coral. Depth: 40 to 80 feet. Las Palmas ? Abundant sponges and gorgonian with scattered coral and varied marine life. Depth: wall starts at 40 feet then plummets into an abyss. Los Atolones ? Mini atolls approximately 15 feet high. Varied marine life. Depth: 15 to 30 feet. Maracaibo (Punta) ? Large sand hills with varied coral and large coral formations. Abundant soft coral and sponges. Varied marine life, including large rays, sea turtles and sharks. Caution: strong current. Depth: the reef begins at a depth of 60 feet. Maracaibo (Shallow) ? Varied coral and abundant marine life. Excellent for snorkeling. Depth: 10 feet. Location: Southern tip of island. Molas (Sand Bank ) ? Sponges and soft corals scattered across sandy hills. Marine life includes nurse sharks, rays, sea turtles and other species of large fish. Caution: strong current. Depth: 35 to 90 feet. Palancar (Caves) ? Abundant marine life includes grouper and sea turtles. Many passages through coral formations that rise from white sandy bottom. Depth: peaks begin at 35 to 40 feet then plummet into an abyss. Palancar (Gardens) ? Coral and sponges scattered across a sandy bottom. Abundant marine life includes grouper, sea turtles and rays. Depth: 30 feet. Palancar (Horseshoe) ? Coral and sponges as well as varied marine life. Large coral formations start at 25 feet then slopes into an abyss. Paraiso ? Large reef with varied coral formations. Section A: scattered coral at 18 feet deep; Section B: scattered coral at 45 to 50 feet; Section C: abundant coral and sponges at a depth of 50 feet then slopes into an abyss. Various dives necessary to cover the Paraiso Reef System. Paso del Cedral (Shallow) ? A variety of coral, sponges and marine life, including grouper, morays, nurse sharks and sea turtles. Depth: 30 to 60 feet.
Paso del Cedral (Wall) ? Scattered coral and a variety of marine life. Caution: fire coral. Depth: wall starts at 40 feet then slopes into an abyss. Playa Bosh ? Scattered coral and sponges. Depth: 30 to 40 feet. Punta Dalila ? Varied coral and sponges with schools of angelfish. Caution: strong current and fire coral. Depth: 30 to 60 feet.
Punta Morena ? Scattered coral and varied marine life. Depth: 40 feet.
Punta Sur (Deep) ? Large coral formations rising from a sandy bottom. Varied marine life, including large sharks and rays. Depth: wall begins at 70 feet then slopes into an abyss.
Punta Sur (Shallow) ? Abundant coral and marine life. Excellent for snorkeling. Depth: 18 to 30 feet.
San Francisco Wall ? Small coral on a sandy bottom. Abundant marine life includes rays and sea turtles. Depth: wall starts at 40 feet then slopes into an abyss.
San Juan ? Endless hills of finger coral. Abundant marine life includes nurse sharks, rays and other large reef fish. Strong current. Depth: 35 to 70 feet. Santa Rosa Wall ? Coral ridges, caves and abundant marine life. Caution: strong current and fire coral. Depth: wall starts at 40 feet then slopes into an abyss. Santa Rosa (Shallow ) ? Coral formations scattered across a sandy bottom. Abundant marine life includes nurse sharks, rays and sea turtles. Caution: strong current. Depth: 30 to 60 feet. Tormentos ? Varied coral and sponges. A great sandbank with abundant marine life that includes morays and grouper. Depth: 30 to 60 feet. Tunich Wall (Mayan translation of Tunich ? ?Rocks?) ? Small ridges and various species of sponges. Abundant marine life includes green morays, rays and sea turtles. Caution: strong current. Depth: the reef begins at 35 feet then slopes into an abyss.
Villa Blanca Wall ? Abundant giant sponges and gorgonian with varied marine life. The wall starts at 35 feet then slopes into an abyss. Wreck C-53- A 1000 ton, 40 foot tall, Mexican minesweeper that boasts three decks with a beam 33 by 184 feet in length. Sunk on a sandy area by Chankanaab Reef at a depth of 80 feet, which allows divers to enter and leave the sunken ship safely.
Yucab
? Varied coral and sponges scattered across a sandy bottom. Abundant
marine life includes morays, grouper, lobster and crab. Excellent for
night diving. Caution: fire coral. Depth: 35 to 60 feet.
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