We only
took one dive while in Cancun, Mexico, and that was actually closer to
Playa Del Carmen than Cancun, outside
XCaret Ecoarchaeological
Park, along the aptly named Barracuda
Reef. This page will tell you a bit about what we saw on this
dive and how our trip went, along with some photos. For more really
cool dives in Mexico, check out our page on
Isla de Cozumel, and our
snorkeling page for lots
of cool photos! You can also see more about our vacation in
Cancun and
Cozumel on this site.
Our main scuba page focuses on
diving in the Pacific Northwest
and general information about scuba diving. You can also check out
our new
Cancún Message Board to find and share information about Cancún all
around the world.
On this
day, we took a bus tour from Cancun to
XCaret Ecoarchaeological
Park for the day. We were going to be swimming with the dolphins
and relaxing, perhaps doing a bit of snorkeling. We had just finished
diving 9 dives in four days in Cozumel, and this week we planned on taking
it easy. However, once we got there, and found out that the on-site
dive shop offered dives, we couldn't resist. After our dolphin encounter,
we hurried over to the dive area to catch the last boat of the day.
The trip was just Sandra and I, the divemaster, captain and one other
fellow. The west end of Barracuda Reef was only a couple of minutes
from the park, and before we knew it, we were in the water.
The trip
was $35
for a one tank dive, and I was a bit cold during the dolphin encounter,
so I opted to get a shorty for $5 extra. Sandra just wore her swimsuit.
We were given Mares equipment, in relatively good shape, but no dive computers,
just gauges this time. I was cool and forgot my open-water certification
card, so I had to do a checkout in the bay before departure with the divemaster.
No big deal, except I didn't have enough weight, so he had to stick a
huge 4lb. weight in my BCD, which overweighted me for the dive.
The water
was warm, though cooler than in Cozumel, probably 75°F on the
surface
and 70°F at 60 feet. We were quite warm and comfortable during our
dive (except for my weight). The visibility was probably just over
100 feet (maybe 125), which was great, but we had been spoiled by Cozumel's
over 200 foot visibility, so it didn't seem quite as great. The
current was very strong in this area, and was nearly impossible to swim
against. The surface was a little choppy, but not too bad.
Barracuda
Reef
in
this area was a fairly shallow coral reef, with depths on the bottom around
60 feet and the top about 40 feet. Fish were plentiful, but mostly
hanging out in caves to hide from the current. Our divemaster carried
a torch, and we entered a couple of large overhangs with him. First
we saw a large spotted moray eel, totally exposed on reef. The other
guy we were diving with grabbed the eel and played with it until the divemaster
had to go back and look for him. I don't think we're quite ready
to play with moray eels quite yet... In the next cave, we saw a huge Caribbean
lobster, about 5 feet long, and the biggest green moray eel I have ever
seen! It must have been a full 12" across and at least 6 feet long
(the cave was
dark and we couldn't see the end of him!). We saw another green
moray and a large crab in another cave, some angelfish, parrotfish, grouper,
grunts, butterfly fish and filefish.
Overall,
this dive was not comparable to the dives of Cozumel, but still cool.
The current was a bit too strong to achieve full enjoyment from the dive,
and the marine life mostly opted for hideouts from it. Just seeing
the size of that one eel made the whole dive worth it, though. Wow.
35
for a one tank dive, and I was a bit cold during the dolphin encounter,
so I opted to get a shorty for $5 extra. Sandra just wore her swimsuit.
We were given Mares equipment, in relatively good shape, but no dive computers,
just gauges this time. I was cool and forgot my open-water certification
card, so I had to do a checkout in the bay before departure with the divemaster.
No big deal, except I didn't have enough weight, so he had to stick a
huge 4lb. weight in my BCD, which overweighted me for the dive.
surface
and 70°F at 60 feet. We were quite warm and comfortable during our
dive (except for my weight). The visibility was probably just over
100 feet (maybe 125), which was great, but we had been spoiled by Cozumel's
over 200 foot visibility, so it didn't seem quite as great. The
current was very strong in this area, and was nearly impossible to swim
against. The surface was a little choppy, but not too bad.
in
this area was a fairly shallow coral reef, with depths on the bottom around
60 feet and the top about 40 feet. Fish were plentiful, but mostly
hanging out in caves to hide from the current. Our divemaster carried
a torch, and we entered a couple of large overhangs with him. First
we saw a large spotted moray eel, totally exposed on reef. The other
guy we were diving with grabbed the eel and played with it until the divemaster
had to go back and look for him. I don't think we're quite ready
to play with moray eels quite yet... In the next cave, we saw a huge Caribbean
lobster, about 5 feet long, and the biggest green moray eel I have ever
seen! It must have been a full 12" across and at least 6 feet long
(the cave w
as
dark and we couldn't see the end of him!). We saw another green
moray and a large crab in another cave, some angelfish, parrotfish, grouper,
grunts, butterfly fish and filefish.