Got back a few weeks ago and I am filing this detailed report from our 11 day trip to Bahia Coba mid Dec 21015.
For scuba, we dove for the third year with Tim and Kathrin at Blue Experience out of Akumal. We highly recommend with very personal service.
Small boats w/backflip, four divers per master max, picks up from local resorts.
Typically tourist flock to the Riviera Maya for pristine beaches and wide ocean views, HOWEVER, here the beach scenery is permanently/purposefully destroyed by unsightly management decisions.
To shelter the beach goers from waves, they implemented dozens of large "whales", which are huge heavy burlap sandbags extending just above the water for 30feet each spanning several hundred yards from the Akumal to the Coba.
There is also an obnoxious open ended blue boom which supposedly restricts access to a "protected" reef which doesn't really exist ( and I question whether it is even legal).....anyway, it wasn't enforced and was really shallow near the boom and the real reef does exist but is far out, past where tourists would be comfortable. No other resort we have ever been to restricts bathers from reefs or destroys the scenery.
I am documenting the detailed snorkeling opportunities at the Bahia, because I haven't seen it in any threads on the net, and YES, there is a real reef there.
On the Akumal/Coba beach pelicans continually dive in the first 10 feet from shore. There were literally a million 6 inch sardines along a shoreline 1/4 mile stretch in up to 2 feet off water.
Checked out beach from Akumal to Coba....Akumal/Coba shallow reef is blocked off with blue booms, and elsewhere sandbag "whales" too numerous to count and unsightly. Contrary to reports, there are three mini beaches along the Akumal wall/ironshore. One had access to open water and snorkeled out 200 yds....nothing to see, just remnants of destroyed reef, no fish, nothing new growing.
Second day explored Tulum beach. Once whales terminate, scenery from beach looks quite good....property extends north for good 1/2 mile, past chapel in direction of Oasis hotel to restricted beach at Hacienda Club. Went snorkeling at the north end of the property and was pleasantly surprised. First 50 yards were all churned up by waves, but as water gets 5 feet deep, start to see fan coral and soft brown coral. At 100 yards heading toward breaking waves much further out, a real growing reef with structure goes from water depth of 6 feet to 15 feet. Care needs to be taken because some coral comes to within two feet of surface and waves can box you in. Brain coral six feet in diameter and new growth on old staghorn, and large beds of "variegated salad" brown coral all over. There is a second reef further out where waves break at about 200 yds off the beach, but we didn't investigate. Proceeded another 1/2 mile north to the Oasis break wall, where water depth gets shallower to only 4 feet. Overall, there are 100s of acres of extended reef with structure as tall as 10 feet, which weren't teeming with schools of fish, but a typical assortment including two Caribbean rays. These reefs are for experienced snorkelers and not for the casual tourist. Barcelo has the best/largest/closest reefs for snorkeling starting from the beach, Sirenis a small reef cove ( but no nice sandy beach), and the Palladium has clean beach and some reef not too far out. All three are far superior to Bahia, unless weather is calm and you venture far out.
Took 10 minute walk south to Chemoyl bay. Wear old sneakers for ironshore, but worst part was only 100 feet long. Nice unoccupied sand beach at end and reef crossing the inlet near opening, so snorkel out from beach. Gets churned up by waves on windy day, but plenty of fish. Some commercial snorkeling boats come into this bay.
Another snorkel outing started at open end of boom behind moored diving boats about 70 yards out. Going to the right we checked out the "protected" reef which gets shallow towards the south, further out is deeper to about 15 feet with reef coming near surface and even further out waves breaking. Towards the north at about 100 yds, nice formations, large brain coral, patch of healthy staghorn, school of about 200 grunts, puffer, large trumpet, lionfish, barracuda, and usual reef fare. This reef goes all the way north to Oasis.
For comparison, nothing compares to Barcelo for variety, fish, turtles, rays, but Bahia is extensive for experienced snorkelers and much better than Palladium and significantly larger than Sirenis cove, which is nice but very small. All get marginal with offshore wind creating waves and turbulence.
Stew
