Finally, Fantasea Dive explores Cinchorros Banks

[PlayaCountryBoy]

After 4+ years of running Fantasea Dive here in Playa, I finally made it out to Chinchorros Banks with some local guys. This is an atoll 25 mile out from Mahahaual a town just this side if the Belize-Mexico border. I was there for a week trying to get out to Chinchorros. Finally after the third day down there the weather broke and we had clear skies and descent seas. After 2.5 hours of travelling we finally geard up for our first dive. We made 3 dives total. The atoll is huge and is really unexplored. The three places we dove had no name. Anyway, here's a short video showing some of what I saw. The visibilty was not so great but the animal and coral was beautiful just the same. Enjoy!

 

[Spratman]

nice film! Looks like most was pretty shallow, how deep does it go?

 

[PlayaCountryBoy]

Our first dive wa a mutli-level from 100ft, and at that depth you could continue to look off into the abyss...like in the southern walls of Coz. I honstly couldn't see any damgae to any of the reef from Hurricane Dean. But thats not to say that there isn't any. The atoll is huge, and I'm sure there's some damage in some parts....just not where we where diving.

 

[Sideways]

sweet!!! I'll have to see if Paulo (daddyb) wants to do this next time down!! Thats a helluva trip down there though. Thanks Jason! Glad you shared it.

 

[PlayaCountryBoy]

sweet!!! I'll have to see if Paulo (daddyb) wants to do this next time down!! Thats a helluva trip down there though. Thanks Jason! Glad you shared it.

He probably will since he is not working now. And by the way Sideways...have we met here in Playa?

 

[Sideways]

He probably will since he is not working now. And by the way Sideways...have we met here in Playa?

I don't think so J, although we have a lot of mutual friends and aqaints..... Yeah...by the time April rolls around hopefully Paulo will be recovered from Geofish, if not, he still says he's available (schedule permitting that is).

OH!...Im heading to Cabo next week, do you know any operators there J? Cheers mate!

 

[rcolman]

We are planning to be down there after Oct. 17 and try to do some B.C. Dives. Is there good diving down there while waiting to get out to Banco Chinchorro?

 

[PlayaCountryBoy]

Hey Sideways, I hate to say that I don't know any dive operators in Cabo.

RColman- I made only 2 dive on the reefs and they were descent with overhangs and swimthrus. Or at least where I dove. I did see a hammerhead though in 40-50ft of water!