Page 112 - Mexico Diving From the Caribbean to Pacific Isles
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PASO DEL CEDRAL REEF 10-18m (33- must-see dive. low reef for snorkeling, and to drop off for
66ft.) Spectacular star coral buttresses PALANCAR HORSESHOE 9 - 30m+ scuba diving. Amazing coral pinnacles at
swarming with bluestriped grunts, blueline (30-100ft.+) Horseshoe-shaped reef with edge of drop-off is notably photogenic. Big
snappers, and schoolmasters, plus stingrays a fabulous diversity of corals, invertebrates fish.
in the strip reef sand. and fishes. Caves and recesses necessitate a PUNTA SUR REEF (SOUTH PT.) 24m+
PASO DEL CEDRAL WALL 12-30m+ (40- flashlight in order to see the colorful organ- (80+.ft.) Boat dive site over 1 hr. from San
100ft.+) Boat dive in unpredictable currents isms. The deeper area is the best. Miguel is approached via a sand chute at
outside of reef, but calm within reef shelter. PALANCAR CAVES 6-30m+ (20-100ft.+) 27m (90ft.) depth. Majestic, deep wall with
Spectacular corals with parrotfish, groupers Boat dive site just south of the Horseshoe caves, cracks, and tunnels is full of all kinds
gorgonians and colorful sponges. has uncountable caves, cracks, and coral of Caribbean reef life. “The Devil’s Throat”
PUNTA DALILA 8-25m (25-80ft.) Boat canyons, with towering pinnacles, sheet cave leads to “The Cathedral”, a huge cavern
dive named after nearby Dalila Ranch is a coral, large schools of French grunts, and with passageways. This is a fabulous dive,
series of strip reefs. The outer reef edge is blueline snappers. The caves have little but time-limited due to depth. Dive scenery
wall-like with crevices and overhangs for current, but some current flows beyond the is amongst Cozumel’s best.
green moray eels. Tube sponges and other outer wall of the reef. Bring a light. PALANCAR REEF Cozumel’s most notable
colorful invertebrates are notably photo- PALANCAR DEEP 27-30m+ (90-100ft.+) underwater playground for scuba divers is
genic. Advanced boat dive to deep wall with an over 5 km (3 miles) in length, from Playa
LA FRANCESA REEF 12-20m (40-66ft.) amazing variety of colorful corals, sponges Palancar to Punta Sur, with huge diversity
Easy drift dive over a strip and patch reef and other invertebrates. Gorgonians deco- of amazing dive sites. These sites include
between Palancar and Santa Rosa Reefs. rate top of reef. First rate drift dive. Punta Dalila, La Francesa Reef, Palancar
The sandy area has a wide variety of fish and COLUMBIA GARDENS (COLUMBIA Gardens, Palancar Horseshoe, Palancar
many invertebrates. SHALLOWS) to 10m (33ft.) For scuba Caves, Columbia Gardens, Columbia Pinna-
PALANCAR GARDENS (PALANCAR or snorkelers, this is commonly a second cles, and perhaps the best of all, Punta Sur
SHALLOWS) 5-21m (16-69ft.) Easy drift dive. This coral garden is a natural fish Reef. Palancar Reef boasts over 200 kinds of
dive 1.9 km. (1.2 mi.) offshore to strip reef nursery, and it has varied corals and colorful Caribbean reef fish, scores of coral species,
with caves and recesses. The current is usu- sponges, plus nurse sharks. every kind of colorful sponge, and innumer-
ally not very strong in this reef. Very color- COLUMBIA PINNACLES (COLUMBIA able invertebrates. The visibilty sometimes
ful sponges stick out from the reef and there REEF) 5-27m (16-90ft.) Boat dive to shal- excedes 60m (200 ft).
are all kinds of reef fish. This is a Cozumel
