1st Timer Trip Report April 13-22, Tres Pelicanos/Hotel Coz

[cephalopod2]

I was looking through some of my pictures from this trip and was wondering if someone could identify a few things for me. These were all taken at night while snorkeling and I was having some fogging/lighting issues.

Is this some kind of slug? Couldn't get a good pic due to surge and my housing fogging up...

That's a sea hare - more info on them here.

Some kind of worm? Saw quite a few of them out and about at night... they had tentacles coming out of their mouths that they would feel around with then occasionally retract.

This is a type of sea cucumber.

Re. your first question, apparently conch are herbivores but not sure what's happening in that photo.

Thanks for the interesting report and Hotel Cozumel night snorkel tip.

 

[LimitedSlip7]

Thanks for the info!

I've finally talked the GF into getting certified and now she's halfway through her classes. Finally going to have a dive buddy! She will be certified in August so it looks like we are going to be making a return trip to Coz the last week in September. I think we are going to do this trip on the cheap so I'm thinking about doing the 7 nights at Casa Mexicana with 5 2-dives with 3P for $1350. I'd prefer to just focus on diving (and food!) this trip so I doubt we will rent a car. Are there any good beach areas within walking distance to go grab a drink and chill and/or do some shore diving?

Jeanie also said that week is baby sea turtle conservation time and you can volunteer to help. Has anyone done that before and what does it involve? Definitely sounds like something we would be interested in...

What about weather? Should I get trip insurance with it being hurricane season? Do dives get blown out often during this time of the year? Anything else to take into consideration?

Thanks!

 

[ggunn]

Thanks for the info!

I've finally talked the GF into getting certified and now she's halfway through her classes. Finally going to have a dive buddy! She will be certified in August so it looks like we are going to be making a return trip to Coz the last week in September. I think we are going to do this trip on the cheap so I'm thinking about doing the 7 nights at Casa Mexicana with 5 2-dives with 3P for $1350. I'd prefer to just focus on diving (and food!) this trip so I doubt we will rent a car. Are there any good beach areas within walking distance to go grab a drink and chill and/or do some shore diving?

Jeanie also said that week is baby sea turtle conservation time and you can volunteer to help. Has anyone done that before and what does it involve? Definitely sounds like something we would be interested in...

What about weather? Should I get trip insurance with it being hurricane season? Do dives get blown out often during this time of the year? Anything else to take into consideration?

Thanks!

There aren't any real beaches within walking distance of Casa Mexicana. You can shore dive at the Dive Paradise location across Melgar from Hotel Cozumel or at Blue Angel. Neither are all that far to go but if you're hauling gear you'll likely want to cab it. BA has another location a bit south of the hotel near the Villablanca hotel. A cool little dive is to put in at the south location and take out at the hotel.

Trip insurance is your call. Some folks get it during hurricane season but the odds are very low that you will need to make a claim due to weather.

 

[LimitedSlip7]

There aren't any real beaches within walking distance of Casa Mexicana. You can shore dive at the Dive Paradise location across Melgar from Hotel Cozumel or at Blue Angel. Neither are all that far to go but if you're hauling gear you'll likely want to cab it.

Trip insurance is your call. Some folks get it during hurricane season but the odds are very low that you will need to make a claim due to weather.

By beach I just mean the manmade beaches overlooking ironshore dropoff like at Hotel Coz or Coral Princess. I don't remember if there was anything similar around the Casa Mexicana area...

 

[ggunn]

By beach I just mean the manmade beaches overlooking ironshore dropoff like at Hotel Coz or Coral Princess. I don't remember if there was anything similar around the Casa Mexicana area...

I think the closest would be the Barracuda Hotel.

 

[bcaderunr]

Thanks for the info!

I've finally talked the GF into getting certified and now she's halfway through her classes. Finally going to have a dive buddy! She will be certified in August so it looks like we are going to be making a return trip to Coz the last week in September. I think we are going to do this trip on the cheap so I'm thinking about doing the 7 nights at Casa Mexicana with 5 2-dives with 3P for $1350. I'd prefer to just focus on diving (and food!) this trip so I doubt we will rent a car. Are there any good beach areas within walking distance to go grab a drink and chill and/or do some shore diving?

Jeanie also said that week is baby sea turtle conservation time and you can volunteer to help. Has anyone done that before and what does it involve? Definitely sounds like something we would be interested in...

What about weather? Should I get trip insurance with it being hurricane season? Do dives get blown out often during this time of the year? Anything else to take into consideration?

Thanks!

We did the turtle thing with Jeannie a year ago. It was a wonderful experience. She drives you to an area on the east side where you learn to dig out "dormant" turtle nests -- in order to locate any struggling runts and/or remaining eggs that can later be given a better chance to hatch.

It's a late afternoon 2-3 hour affair (as I recall). You will get hot, dirty, and tired doing this. But, come sunset, you enjoy a front row seat as any new babies that were uncovered are released en masse for their march into the sea.

Bring grubby clothes, bug spray for when the sun goes down, and $20 +/- for the requisite donation.

 

[Brodydog]

Our rescue from 2013. It’s an amazing experience.

 

[Brodydog]

And then the run with our turtles and everyone else’s turtle from that evening.