Alternate for Cozumel

[rjohn]

We have been diving Cozumel for the last few years and think it is perfect. My dive partner just came back from there with his girlfriend and says the diving has been severly impacted by Hurricane Wilma. He says the deeper dives are fine but the shallower dives, which happen to be the best, have been devastated. The giant sponges and ferns have been swept away and much of the teeming life has disappeared. He and I were scheduled to go back in February, but now we are looking for an alternative. We like the drift diving format. Does anyone have a recommendation for something like Cozumel. Drift dives, great visibility, teeming life, etc. I know it'll be tough to match Coz but thought someone might have a suggestion.

 

[Stivo]

I just got back from Cozumel where I dove several spots. South of Palancar seems to be in great shape although most dive ops won't take you there without at least a check out dive. Tormentos was in decent shape, but even San Francisco reef (which is really covered in sand) had stuff to offer. A lot of the fans are gone and much is buried by sand, but I still saw 3 eagle rays, 2 toadfish and turtles on my dive there (San Francisco).

 

[TheRedHead]

I also just returned from Cozumel and can't agree with that assessment. I had the best dives at Las Palmas where I saw DOZENS of eagle rays, some swam so close I could have reached out and touched them. The most damage I saw was Punta Tunich where I saw finger coral leveled like dominoes, but even there, I found a seahorse, saw humungous rainbow parrotfish, triggerfish (queen, sargassum, gray), black durgeon and a host of the usual reef fishies.

And everywhere I looked, I saw the reef coming back to life with little sponge buds popping out. It was like springtime. Lots of new swimthroughs at Palancar, the bricks are now at the beginning of Columbia along with an anchor that was uncovered. Lots of old/new reef uncovered at Punta Sur. All the old spots had a whole new look.

I wasn't dissapointed in anything except the weather at times. Go back to Cozumel with your eyes open and you'll be pleasantly surprised!