Cozumel’s stunning reefs

Clear waters, colorful reefs, and a wide diversity of underwater life make Cozumel diving a top attraction for divers and snorkelers all over the world.

---

Sebastian, the Little Mermaid’s loyal crustacean friend, was probably thinking of Cozumel when he was singing Under the Sea: “Just look at the world around you right here on the ocean floor. Such wonderful things surround you, what more is you lookin’ for?”

Ok, onwards with the article…

What I always tell my friends, whether they’re divers or not, is that there is an amazing, stunning, different world underwater. In this other “world”, you can fly alongside colorful creatures, above and through reef structures, and inside sunken boats.

Underwater Cozumel is nothing short of a stunning, out of this world (but in this world) experience. You get to see the tip of the iceberg when you snorkel and swim, but you really need to see it yourself from “fish-level.”

Cozumel diving: What’s all the buzz about?

So what’s all the buzz about?

Cozumel has ~22Km (~13 miles) of reef, which is part of the Mesoamerican Reef (~1000Km / 620 miles). The Mesoamerican reef is the largest reef in the Atlantic Ocean.

With over 150 species of fish, every dive in Cozumel is a different dive. In each dive you will get to see a number of colorful, friendly and curious fish. You will smile underwater when you see turtles and stingrays gliding by.

Once in a while you may see a reef shark. But please do not fret! These creatures are quite shy, so you’ll be lucky if you get to see one of them. Enjoy the experience, if you ever get the chance!

In Cozumel, you will be able to enjoy the following types of dives:

• Drift dives – these are the dives in which there are under water currents. There are several dives in Cozumel that have a drift that you’ll need to manage, such as San Juan (50-70ft) and Barracuda (80-130ft)
• Large reef dives – including Palancar Reef, in which you can enjoy dives ranging from 50 all the way to around 110 feet deep; Colombia is another notable large reef dive. In these reef dives, you can do a few swim-throughs so you need to have excellent buoyancy
• Beginner dives – such as Paraiso Reef, which is basically a huge, pool-like environment where many divers go for their first open water dive; dives start at 20ft
• Wreck dives – these are the dives in which you explore sunken ships, airplanes, etc. There is an artificial C-53 ship wreck from WW2 in Cozumel to explore
• Advanced dives – the “Devil’s throat” is a deep dive for advanced divers that reaches the limit of recreational diving depths; Maracaibo (near the lighthouse at the south part of the island) is another challenging dive starting at 100ft
• Night dives – at night, the great visibility of these waters will allow you to see a different set of marine life with your underwater torch

Cozumel: Best Reef in the World?

People travel far to get to see a reef. Not many realize that they have an amazing ecosystem at their reach when they book their trip to Cancun or Playa del Carmen.

The reef depth varies from around 50 feet to 130 feet, the limits of recreational diving. You will get the sense of flying over tall buildings of reef life. The skyscrapers of the underwater.

It is this reef that allows for the abundance of life underwater. Without the reef, there will be no life, and the ecosystem balance will be lost.

Some of the most amazing reefs in Cozumel include:

• Palancar Reef – (Gardens & Bricks) huge, incredible formations with swim-throughs on the reef
• Columbia Reef – huge coral reefs, small reef caves and swim throughs
• Santa Rosa Wall – a large, vertical wall that you will get to swim (shall we say fly?) next to
• Punta Sur – hosts Cathedral (large chamber) and the Devil’s throat (small coral caves). Deep dive (125ft) with swim throughs
• Cedral Wall – tons of sea life is what characterizes this dive!

During each of your reef dives, you will get to see the abundance of fish in this region.

These dives give you a unique opportunity to be close to the reef, by doing swim through various reef tunnels, swimming by the reef walls, or by swimming over the top and getting an amazing view.

Is it the best reef in the world? You’ll have to be the judge!

The reefs of Cozumel are part of a marine park that is protected. You must never touch the reef, as it can cause irreparable damage.

Underwater life in Cozumel

Cozumel has about 150 species of fish, which makes each dive a very unique experience. Some of the marine life you will encounter could include:

• Seasonal:
  • Winter time eagle rays (October-March)
  • Reef sharks (September and December–you get to see baby sharks and the parents as well)
  • Dolphins (when it is about to get cold!)
• Year round:
  • Splendid toadfish (only found in Cozumel!)
  • Nurse sharks
  • Barracuda
  • Turtles (logger head turtles mostly in the May-September timeframe)
  • Trumpetfish
  • Green and spotted moray eel
  • Horse-eye jack schools
  • Frog fish
  • Sea horses
  • Angel fish
  • Puffer fish
  • Parrot fish (Midnight, Stoplight, Rainbow)
  • Pipe fish
• And many others…

You may occasionally also see dolphins when there’s a cold-front approaching. If you see a dolphin, the weather may cool down a couple of days later. You will see them swim from north to south.

Wreck diving opportunities

Cozumel has an artificial wreck. It is a C-53 boat built in 1944 during World War II. This dive can be split into a beginner dive, in which you will get to explore the ship from the outside with a few, easy swing-throughs.

The advanced version of this dive will take you through the inner chambers of the boat. You can see the machine room, storage rooms, and even the bathroom–this is a three story penetration. Inside the boat, you can see animals like shrimp and lobsters. Outside of the boat you can find moray eels, shrimp, barracudas, silver dog snapper, and sting rays among others. Note that you need to have a specialty certification, as you will not have a direct path to the surface.

Diving certification requirements

The beauty of Cozumel is that you can go to a large number of sites with your basic Open Water certification. However, the most amazing dives will be at depths beyond 60 ft (for example the Devil’s Throat), hence requiring you to dive as deep as 100 or 130 ft.

Most of the dives with the most amazing, large reef formations will require you to dive at depths in the range of 70-100 ft.

I’ve seen many divers do their first dive after completing certification in Paraiso reef, and they are absolutely pumped, and filled with confidence after surfacing.

Would you like to get certified in the amazing clear waters of Cozumel? You can do this at your next vacation. Click here for more information. Luis knows how to take care of his guests.

Cozumel out of the water

Cozumel is an island. It is also a stop for cruise ships. As such, there’s a charming downtown area in which you will see several souvenir shops and restaurants.

Cozumel also hosts a small archaeological site which you can visit during your surface intervals.

You can always find some good seafood, and great mexican food.

Expert coauthor: Luis Alpuche, dive master

This article was written with the expert contributions of my good friend Luis Alpuche, who is a divemaster in the island. Luis is a Cozumel native, who has had love for the water ever since he can remember. Both of his parents are divemasters. He started his own business (ScubaLuis) just a few years ago, which he runs alongside his son, Adrian. What has made him so successful has been the fact that he treats his customers like family. I’m proud to call him my friend!

His passion for diving in Cozumel is only surpassed by his respect to the reef. Luis is a strong advocate of responsible diving, and helping protect the reef. It is no wonder he has a perfect score on TripAdvisor. Nice job!

Make sure to say hi through his Facebook page if you have any additional questions!

---

I hope you enjoyed reading about Cozumel diving and are motivated to try it yourself! Drop me a comment if you have any questions or doubts!

If you are interested in learning more about diving, I suggest you check out my other scuba diving blog posts. If the open sea is not for you, check out my cenote scuba diving tips.

Please do us a favor and help us promote our site on your social media accounts! If you have a Pinterest account, pin one of the images below to your travel boards. It really does help!