Cozumel diving March 2025
I began diving the 13th of March with friends for about a week and a half that came down from the states. I dove with Bottom Time Divers (bottomtimedivers.net). Due to the large group, Raul (owner and DM) ran two boats or rented one larger boat (All from Tres Pelicanos). The first three days I did not have my camera but did the last days. All divers in the group are experienced divers though we did have a newer diver who did well. Currents were generally slow to almost non-existent which I find more tiring as I have to kick more and shortens dives. None of the sites during this time had ripping currents including Tormentos. My dives were all on the south end in the park but some days I had off, some in the group dove north of the park (Villa Blanca) but not far north like San Juan/Barracuda. I found many days the current was running slightly in to the island though we had heard of current far north running out to the channel. We lost a day or two to a Norte though the second day the port did open later but I didn't go. It was windier this period with cooler air temps except the last few days with warmer air temps and on a few days cooler water temps. I have found my dive computer consistently shows my wrist temp as 82F regardless of water temps. I can only say if I felt cold or not.
There was not a lot of seaweed but the thimble jellies are coming out.
We dove some sites that we haven't done in a while such as San Clemente wall and Las Palmas especially with other reef closures. We did the usual sites in the Palancars, walls (San Francisco and Santa Rosa) and the mid reefs like Yucab, Punta Tunich and Tormentos. For some reason we did not do Cedral Wall as that is one of Raul's favorites. We generally chose an area and went where there were no boats.
I was using Nitrox on the second dives if others used it. Otherwise, air on the second. All my dive times were 60-75 minutes. There were alot of boats on many sites and other groups generally passed through us while diving. We dive slow.
On this trip I saw less toadfish but saw single eagle rays on almost every dive with some very large ones. We saw a loggerhead on two occasions and I can't say if it was the same one. We did see Hawksbill turtles but they were generally smaller. There were quite alot of smaller fish (chromis, grunts, snappers, etc), alot of triggerfish - more than usual, and many angelfish (gray and queen). Many jacks, chubs and large numbers of southern stingrays. Additionally, many juvenile drums. We went looking for seahorses and batfish but didn't come across them. A hammerhead is supposedly in the area but we did not see it.
There were quite a lot of porcupine fish and many were not as shy as usual so I could get face on photos. We saw quite a lot of eels such as brown spotted and goldentail morays and several green morays including a very curious free swimming one. I spotted what I thought was a goldentail eel but did not stop to take a photo but Raul says there were two viper eels so I wish I had photos to tell for sure. It looked like a goldentail to me but I mostly saw tail. I did look for large eye toadfish on San Francisco and Santa Rosa walls but didn’t see any.
The Asipona marina (formerly Fonatur) has everyone checking into the marina with name, boat name and purpose. Many occasions I needed to provide ID but that was not consistent. Leaving the marina is the same process.
The bathrooms in the building by the ramp were accessible for 10 pesos but are locked and an attendant lets you in. However, many occasions the attendant was not there and I would not count on them having change for 20 peso or larger notes. Apparently there is a fee for the showers as well.
The street leading to the north of the first roundabout is generally parked up but there is a large dirt lot if you proceed along the same street, go west (left) around the second roundabout towards the ocean and then a left into the lot. The hike is a bit further though.
My Conanp park pass I bought last year was still valid through the end of March 2025. The new yearly cost is $3620 MXN which, at $11 USD ($220 MXN) for the bracelet via Bottom Time Divers, has a breakeven at 17 days. Some shops seem to be charging $12 USD. In past years the website did not work so I got my card at the office in Cozumel. Friends that came down this March bought theirs online so the site must be working and must be taking US credit cards. The site is https://descubreanp.conanp.gob.mx/swb/conanp/pasaporte-brazalete-conservacion.
Balloonfish
Brown spotted moray eel
Goldentail moray eel
Gray angelfish with numerous shrimp
Gray snapper and french grunts
I began diving the 13th of March with friends for about a week and a half that came down from the states. I dove with Bottom Time Divers (bottomtimedivers.net). Due to the large group, Raul (owner and DM) ran two boats or rented one larger boat (All from Tres Pelicanos). The first three days I did not have my camera but did the last days. All divers in the group are experienced divers though we did have a newer diver who did well. Currents were generally slow to almost non-existent which I find more tiring as I have to kick more and shortens dives. None of the sites during this time had ripping currents including Tormentos. My dives were all on the south end in the park but some days I had off, some in the group dove north of the park (Villa Blanca) but not far north like San Juan/Barracuda. I found many days the current was running slightly in to the island though we had heard of current far north running out to the channel. We lost a day or two to a Norte though the second day the port did open later but I didn't go. It was windier this period with cooler air temps except the last few days with warmer air temps and on a few days cooler water temps. I have found my dive computer consistently shows my wrist temp as 82F regardless of water temps. I can only say if I felt cold or not.
There was not a lot of seaweed but the thimble jellies are coming out.
We dove some sites that we haven't done in a while such as San Clemente wall and Las Palmas especially with other reef closures. We did the usual sites in the Palancars, walls (San Francisco and Santa Rosa) and the mid reefs like Yucab, Punta Tunich and Tormentos. For some reason we did not do Cedral Wall as that is one of Raul's favorites. We generally chose an area and went where there were no boats.
I was using Nitrox on the second dives if others used it. Otherwise, air on the second. All my dive times were 60-75 minutes. There were alot of boats on many sites and other groups generally passed through us while diving. We dive slow.
On this trip I saw less toadfish but saw single eagle rays on almost every dive with some very large ones. We saw a loggerhead on two occasions and I can't say if it was the same one. We did see Hawksbill turtles but they were generally smaller. There were quite alot of smaller fish (chromis, grunts, snappers, etc), alot of triggerfish - more than usual, and many angelfish (gray and queen). Many jacks, chubs and large numbers of southern stingrays. Additionally, many juvenile drums. We went looking for seahorses and batfish but didn't come across them. A hammerhead is supposedly in the area but we did not see it.
There were quite a lot of porcupine fish and many were not as shy as usual so I could get face on photos. We saw quite a lot of eels such as brown spotted and goldentail morays and several green morays including a very curious free swimming one. I spotted what I thought was a goldentail eel but did not stop to take a photo but Raul says there were two viper eels so I wish I had photos to tell for sure. It looked like a goldentail to me but I mostly saw tail. I did look for large eye toadfish on San Francisco and Santa Rosa walls but didn’t see any.
The Asipona marina (formerly Fonatur) has everyone checking into the marina with name, boat name and purpose. Many occasions I needed to provide ID but that was not consistent. Leaving the marina is the same process.
The bathrooms in the building by the ramp were accessible for 10 pesos but are locked and an attendant lets you in. However, many occasions the attendant was not there and I would not count on them having change for 20 peso or larger notes. Apparently there is a fee for the showers as well.
The street leading to the north of the first roundabout is generally parked up but there is a large dirt lot if you proceed along the same street, go west (left) around the second roundabout towards the ocean and then a left into the lot. The hike is a bit further though.
My Conanp park pass I bought last year was still valid through the end of March 2025. The new yearly cost is $3620 MXN which, at $11 USD ($220 MXN) for the bracelet via Bottom Time Divers, has a breakeven at 17 days. Some shops seem to be charging $12 USD. In past years the website did not work so I got my card at the office in Cozumel. Friends that came down this March bought theirs online so the site must be working and must be taking US credit cards. The site is https://descubreanp.conanp.gob.mx/swb/conanp/pasaporte-brazalete-conservacion.
Balloonfish
Brown spotted moray eel
Goldentail moray eel
Gray angelfish with numerous shrimp
Gray snapper and french grunts
.
