Trip Report Cozumel Blue Angel - October 2024

[ChrisM]

I have been there a couple of times when they were out of lionfish. I was able to feed myself quite well in spite of it.

Yes, three of us bought a whole fish for 800 pesos that they cooked up with some garlic, it was awesome. However, if lionfish is becoming a rarer commodity, I am not sure I'd make the trek to dine there as often

Clarifying this wasn't a "they had it but sold out for the day" circumstance, they didn't have it at all.

 

[ChrisM]

How was La Perlita? We usually love it, but last time we were down there the food was not as good as years past. Hoping this was just one bad day.

When they don't have lionfish we like the Paella and the Seafood Stuffed Fish Filet.

Bought a fish between us that they fileted and cooked in garlic, it was amazing. They also had an interesting bean and cheese side in a mushroom cap that was pretty good

 

[Saboteur]

Sign on bathroom door at BA Resort. Woiuld also dive and stay here again. It’s a fun, friendly place to have a dive trip.

 

[4togrfr]

I am heading to BA in a couple months. Our package includes nitrox. Do you happen to know if the OP provides an O2 analyzer?

Sorry for the late response - never got a notice there were posts on my thread and I've been busy and off SC for a month!.
Anyway, I asked about an analyzer to check our tanks while gathering the gear before our first dive departure. The staff acted like it was going to be a hassle and that it was uncustomary for their divers to analyze their own tanks. I didn't push the issue and trusted them. I think the real issue is they didn't want to track the tanks by diver. I probably should have insisted, but I didn't. It did get me thinking about buying my own analyzer...

 

[4togrfr]

Can somebody speak on the quality of the shore diving at Blue Angel?

I quite enjoyed our shore diving in front of BA. Not much coral to speak of, but more akin to muck diving if that resonates with you. Lots of juvenile fish, rays and eels.

 

[4togrfr]

Ditto what @Kimela said. The shore dive at Tikila Beach can be pretty good for macro and super macro , but it might help to have a guide to help find stuff (blennies , painted elysia , eels , crabs. aglajas, sea hares and occasionally a frog fish to name a few possibilities )

I shot macro a the last two days of the trip, and was much happier with what I captured than larger subjects. Here are a few captures.

 

[4togrfr]

Having just returned last night, thought I'd add my .02 rather than a new thread. Last time there was Nov 2019, so things are a bit different post covid


I have to say I loved the concierge service by Alfredo and crew, before we dove with another op so had to collect and rinse our gear. Having that all taken care of was fantastic. He even went and collected gear from the dock after a shore dive, as my wife needed to doff her gear in the water and I pulled it up. We went to get the wheelbarrow and he said he'd get it.

Agreed - while most places we dive have a "concierge" service (one of my wife's priorities) BA was very good and always took good care of all of the gear and tank transporting and setup.

 

[ggunn]

I quite enjoyed our shore diving in front of BA. Not much coral to speak of, but more akin to muck diving if that resonates with you. Lots of juvenile fish, rays and eels.

The area around the base of the stingray pen usually has a lot of life, and we often see reef squid there that we seldom see anywhere else.

 

[Saboteur]

My observation is that most did not measure their tanks or label them as theirs as it seemed like I was the only one asking for an analyzer. It didn’t to me seem like a hassle but more of “oh….. ok let me get it”…. As if diver checking was exception more than the customary.

Sorry for the late response - never got a notice there were posts on my thread and I've been busy and off SC for a month!.
Anyway, I asked about an analyzer to check our tanks while gathering the gear before our first dive departure. The staff acted like it was going to be a hassle and that it was uncustomary for their divers to analyze their own tanks. I didn't push the issue and trusted them. I think the real issue is they didn't want to track the tanks by diver. I probably should have insisted, but I didn't. It did get me thinking about buying my own analyzer...

 

[DandyDon]

If I dive Nitrox, I expect the Op to furnish a tester on the boat but I discuss that before booking the trip. My O2 tester needs work (my brain is failing me at the moment on the part name), but I haven't done any square bottom wreck dives in years so I don't dive Nitrox. Cozumel diving is so multilevel that I don't bother with Nitrox.