Rooster1
Guest
This post goes out to those here that want a real honest assessment of the Island and the diving conditions. Too many ask questions and you get answers all over the place. Before I start all you Coz lovers who cant bear to hear a negatative word about Cozumel (you can step away from the computer now or go to another forum). Like wise those who only want to hear Coz bashing you too can leave because this is not what this post is about. I decided to write this post for those who have not been back to Coz since Wilma and want the real truth of the condition of the island and make an informed decision and not a biased one either way. I went through the same thing not knowing what was or wasnt for a few months before I went. So now that the folks who cannot handle the truth have left the forum or have stepped away from the computer here is the unarguable truth without an ounce of bias for the needy souls who want to go or are going so you will know what the current condition of Coz is like.
On the Surface (the negative )
The Island you will see even before you land that there is/and has been a lot of damage to the jungle. Lots of salt damage. Many parts of the jungle are not green. (coz needs lots of rain right now)!
Some of the water front hotels are rebuilding their water fronts (beaches/break walls/ dive shops etc.)
The big cruise ship piers are not open due to damage (lots of damage to the piers/sections of the piers are at the bottom of the ocean.) I have heard not til sometime in 2007 before they will be open.
Not as many shops in town are open as last year.
Dune buggy tour is not running on the road besides mescalitos right now. (I was told to much damage that the dune buggies couldnt get through. They are doing their tour through El Cedral village.
Chankanaab park was destroyed by Wilma.
More traffic then I have ever seen on the island (I dont know where all the cars are
coming from)!
Road on the other side of the Island where there has been repairs is narrower (be very careful of your speed)
On locals day (Sunday) the other side of the Island is so packed that it was difficult to get through at some points because they park on the road because a lot of the little spots off the side of the road are gone now since they have fixed the road.
Coz seems to be getting more and more costly every year.
The snorkelling will take a while to come back as much was wiped out.
On the surface (the positive )
The jungle is coming back! The 11 days we were there we seen progress in the jungle. The wild side of the Island is in much better shape then hotel side. Many stretches of the jungle on the west side looked the same as before with lots of green ( you wouldnt know the difference.) If you can get towards the middle of the Jungle (jeep/horse) it is in really good shape.
The town looks great! No signs of a hurricane. Very colorful and bustling with action. Street venders, artists and the like all doing their thing. (very nice to walk around town).
Many of the hotels are in excellent shape with finishing touches being done to their waterfronts. The ones that got hit really badly are being redone.
The rebuilding is at a feverish speed. (lots of work and progress we seen in a short time)
Atlantis sub opened the day before we left.
Chankanaab park is coming back fast. We saw them working from the dive boat daily and we can see lots and lots of progress (it will be better then before)
Less cruisers which can be nice for those who stay on the island.
When the Island heals it will be even nicer then before.
Diving (the negative )
It is true what you have read or heard and do not let anyone mislead you by only telling you good stories or only showing the nice pictures.
(it seams to be a lot of misleading going on)! Even some of the locals told us that a lot of tourists who arrived shortly after Wilma were lied to about the condition of the island.
The reefs are not in the same condition as before! There is a lot of sand on the coral on some of the reefs. Lots of coral is coated with sand. Some reefs have more sand then others. A lot of color is missing from the reefs. (understandable after a hurricane of Wilmas magnitude).
Here is a real myth buster (the deeper reefs werent damaged) NONSENSE!
We did 3 dives from 120ft to 135ft and 3 other deep dives from 141ft to 174 ft and there was sand down there that had dropped down.
Another myth buster (the shallow reefs were badly damaged)NONSENSE!
Paradise reef , which is fairly shallow, was in very good condition considering the nasty hurricane.
Columbia shallows only 20 ft (you can just snorkel this one) was my best dive (it was beautiful with so many fish and lots of color) .
Diving (the positive )
In light of all the negative UNBIASED TRUTH I just posted, the diving is still excellent! Thats right even with less color and sand that is where it shouldnt be (slowly going away) the diving is still excellent!
Many parts of the reefs from north to south are not damaged.
Some of what is damaged is already coming back.
The best of all and I am not a marine biologist, so I cannot explain but I have never seen more marine life in all the years of diving in Cozumel.
Turtles on almost every dive. Eagle rays more then I have ever seen. Some reefs fish galore. Great feeling gliding through a schools of beautiful fish.
Lobster, Crab, Eels, Sea Snakes, more Barracuda then I have ever seen, Octopus, the marine life was abundant.
From shore I dove and saw 4 eagle rays in less then 25 feet of water, star fish, trumpet fish and countless others.
So to borrow a phrase I report you decide
On the Surface (the negative )
The Island you will see even before you land that there is/and has been a lot of damage to the jungle. Lots of salt damage. Many parts of the jungle are not green. (coz needs lots of rain right now)!
Some of the water front hotels are rebuilding their water fronts (beaches/break walls/ dive shops etc.)
The big cruise ship piers are not open due to damage (lots of damage to the piers/sections of the piers are at the bottom of the ocean.) I have heard not til sometime in 2007 before they will be open.
Not as many shops in town are open as last year.
Dune buggy tour is not running on the road besides mescalitos right now. (I was told to much damage that the dune buggies couldnt get through. They are doing their tour through El Cedral village.
Chankanaab park was destroyed by Wilma.
More traffic then I have ever seen on the island (I dont know where all the cars are
coming from)!
Road on the other side of the Island where there has been repairs is narrower (be very careful of your speed)
On locals day (Sunday) the other side of the Island is so packed that it was difficult to get through at some points because they park on the road because a lot of the little spots off the side of the road are gone now since they have fixed the road.
Coz seems to be getting more and more costly every year.
The snorkelling will take a while to come back as much was wiped out.
On the surface (the positive )
The jungle is coming back! The 11 days we were there we seen progress in the jungle. The wild side of the Island is in much better shape then hotel side. Many stretches of the jungle on the west side looked the same as before with lots of green ( you wouldnt know the difference.) If you can get towards the middle of the Jungle (jeep/horse) it is in really good shape.
The town looks great! No signs of a hurricane. Very colorful and bustling with action. Street venders, artists and the like all doing their thing. (very nice to walk around town).
Many of the hotels are in excellent shape with finishing touches being done to their waterfronts. The ones that got hit really badly are being redone.
The rebuilding is at a feverish speed. (lots of work and progress we seen in a short time)
Atlantis sub opened the day before we left.
Chankanaab park is coming back fast. We saw them working from the dive boat daily and we can see lots and lots of progress (it will be better then before)
Less cruisers which can be nice for those who stay on the island.
When the Island heals it will be even nicer then before.
Diving (the negative )
It is true what you have read or heard and do not let anyone mislead you by only telling you good stories or only showing the nice pictures.
(it seams to be a lot of misleading going on)! Even some of the locals told us that a lot of tourists who arrived shortly after Wilma were lied to about the condition of the island.
The reefs are not in the same condition as before! There is a lot of sand on the coral on some of the reefs. Lots of coral is coated with sand. Some reefs have more sand then others. A lot of color is missing from the reefs. (understandable after a hurricane of Wilmas magnitude).
Here is a real myth buster (the deeper reefs werent damaged) NONSENSE!
We did 3 dives from 120ft to 135ft and 3 other deep dives from 141ft to 174 ft and there was sand down there that had dropped down.
Another myth buster (the shallow reefs were badly damaged)NONSENSE!
Paradise reef , which is fairly shallow, was in very good condition considering the nasty hurricane.
Columbia shallows only 20 ft (you can just snorkel this one) was my best dive (it was beautiful with so many fish and lots of color) .
Diving (the positive )
In light of all the negative UNBIASED TRUTH I just posted, the diving is still excellent! Thats right even with less color and sand that is where it shouldnt be (slowly going away) the diving is still excellent!
Many parts of the reefs from north to south are not damaged.
Some of what is damaged is already coming back.
The best of all and I am not a marine biologist, so I cannot explain but I have never seen more marine life in all the years of diving in Cozumel.
Turtles on almost every dive. Eagle rays more then I have ever seen. Some reefs fish galore. Great feeling gliding through a schools of beautiful fish.
Lobster, Crab, Eels, Sea Snakes, more Barracuda then I have ever seen, Octopus, the marine life was abundant.
From shore I dove and saw 4 eagle rays in less then 25 feet of water, star fish, trumpet fish and countless others.
So to borrow a phrase I report you decide