Cozumel’s marine life, ranging from turtles, eels, rays, crustaceans, and tropical fish, makes it one of the best places to dive in the world!
Each time you dive in Cozumel you will experience a unique dive, even when visiting the same spot. Why? Because its abundance of marine life! This is one of the big benefits of diving here.
Cozumel’s marine life is so abundant that this article is only devoted to Cozumel’s turtles, rays, eels, sharks and crustaceans!
All of the images on this article were taken while diving under the guidance of Luis Alpuche, dive master at Scuba Luis!
Table of Contents
Turtles!
One of my favorite animals underwater is the turtle. Although it is common to see them in Cozumel, it is never a 100% certainty that you will get to see one so each time you have an encounter it is special.
These awesome creatures will generally be found at the reef grabbing something to eat, while other fish help ‘clean’ its shell. This is known as a cleaning station.
The types of turtles you may enjoy in Cozumel may include:
- Hawksbill
- Green
- Loggerhead
| Common turtle type | Shell | Head |
| Hawksbill | Edge is saw-like | Overbite and two pairs of prefrontal scales between the eyes |
| Green | Smooth outline | No overbite and just one pair of prefrontal scales between the eyes |
It is certainly not uncommon to see a turtle during your dive. Generally they are found eating at the reef. This lends itself for opportunity to get relatively close and admire them. Just remember: no touching!
Cozumel’s turtles are considered endangered species. Much like the rest of the reef, you must be extremely respectful and careful. Again, please do not touch or try to feed these beautiful animals!
Eels
Moray eels are amazing animals. While diving in Cozumel, you’ll likely get plenty of opportunities to see a few different types, ranging from different colors and sizes.
The average length of green moray eels, for example, is roughly 6 feet when fully grown. You will get to see much smaller ones hiding in the reef.
Moray eels hunt for fish, but are not picky about what they eat. They’ll take on any fish that is small enough for them to eat.
Divers fear moray eels because of their bite. However, they rarely attack unless first provoked. I’ve gotten fairly close to these amazing creatures, and they’ve simply gone about their business.
Eels are not considered endangered species, but their habitat is threatened due to global warming. Lets be kind to our planet to ensure these unique creatures continue to have a place to live in!
Keep your eyes open. You might just get to see a giant green moray eel! It is not uncommon to see these big animals on the move.
Crustaceans
Crustaceans are interesting creatures. Some of their notable characteristics are that they have a hard exoskeleton (think of it as an external skeleton), compound eyes and two pairs of antennae. Shrimp, crabs, and lobsters fall in this category.
Sadly, you’ve likely only seen these animals on your plate when eating seafood, or at the tank at the front of that same restaurant 🥺.
The hermit crab in the image above was not so timid. He patiently waited for me to anchor down about two feet in front of him at the sea floor.
Seeing crustaceans in their natural habitat for the first time is a great experience!
Interested to catch something and eat it? Please make sure you make it a Lionfish. This is an invasive species that can cause extinction of native plans and animals, essentially hurting reef life.
Travel with Iván
Rays!
Another amazing creature you may encounter while diving in Cozumel is the marine ray. There’s primarily a few types that I’ve encountered while diving in this region:
| Ray Type | Max Width | Description |
| Spotted Eagle Ray | ~3m (~10ft) | White spots through body; strong swimming ability; venomous barbs; may swim in schools |
| Southern Sting Ray | ~1.3m (~4ft) | Solid dark brown or grey body; venomous tail; mostly buried in sand |
| Spotted Round Ray | ~42cm (~1.3ft) | AKA Cortez round stingray; round in shape |
Spotted eagle rays are quite the sight to see while you’re diving. It provides for a sense of peace to see these rays swim by. Make sure you have your camera ready 😉
Marine rays do have venomous barbs located on their tails. As you enjoy the sight of these beautiful creatures, make sure that you don’t pose a threat and remember to be respectful of their space.
As you’re close to the sand, make sure to keep an eye out for the southern stingray. They love hiding in the sand. It is quite the thrill to see their eyes sticking out 😊
Sharks
Sharks are not a big part of Cozumel’s marine life. This may be good news for some divers 😊 However, sharks, similar to many species, will go about their business rather than stalk people.
The most common shark type seen in Cozumel is the nurse shark. You’re more likely to see one of these sharks just laying down at the sea floor than doing anything else.
Their size ranges from 6-8ft, and it is a great sight to see when one swims by nearby.
Similar to the image above, they tend to find a crevasse to lay down and just hang out.
The other type of shark you may encounter is the Caribbean reef shark, similar to the one below that I shot in Belize.
Night dives: Other encounters
During night dives, Cozumel’s marine life takes on a different look and feel. Animals behave differently when the sun goes down. Some go out and look for food, some seek cover. In addition, there’s something about jumping in dark, black night water! 🌙
One of my favorite animals in general under water is the reef octopus. You generally get a bigger chance to spot one during night dives. 🐙
During night dives, you will have to dive with a diving flashlight. Photography will definitely require the use of a flash, not just to bring out the colors but to light up your subject.
In addition to this, our dive master Luis had shown us the marine bioluminescence glowing when turning off our flashlights. Truly a very unique experience!
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 Joel and his dad Milo. 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 want scuba dive in Cozumel during your next vacation and have any additional questions!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on Cozumel’s marine life! Feel free to drop me a comment below, or find me on my Facebook page!
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Hi, I’m Iván García—I love to travel and photography. I’m big on road trips, just about anywhere in the world. I share information for people to reach truly great places. My goal is to inspire you to visit these places for yourself.
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