Trip Report Trip report: CZM Dec 2022/Jan 2023

[rmssetc]

Yet another good trip to Cozumel, so I'll keep this report short, mainly noting things that I found to be new/different/unusual on my 8th trip.

Dove with Aldora again -- everything went smoothly as usual. It was nice to see familiar faces, and some new (to me) DMs (Sergio, Juan).

Arrived on Dec 24, missed a couple of days due to rain, but then dove almost daily from the 27th-Jan 10, for 17 dives total.

Saw a few groups of eagle rays, though no spectacular/extended sightings of eagle rays feeding as I've seen in the past.

My overall impression was that currents were slightly milder or similar to what I've experienced before, and that visibility was slightly worse or similar. Even the faster-moving dive sites -- San Juan, Maracaibo -- weren't too turbulent.

New & noteworthy things (for me):

• I stayed at Casa Lotus, the Air B&B on Calle 5 Sur, directly across the street from Tres Pelicanos. Highly recommended for the location, value, lovely courtyard with pool and extermly helpful & friendly hosts
• saw 4 scorpion fish
• learning to look more closely for small critters, particularly in/around anemones (thanks, Juan)
• tried a black-water dive (Jan 6, full moon) for the first time. Interesting, tremendous number of tiny critters, with distinct & observable behaviors (the pre-dive briefing slideshow @ Aldora was great preparation). I didn't get any photos of my own, and I now have a much greater appreciation for well done photos during this kind of dive. This was the only dive of the trip with problematic current. We began the blackwater dive south (maybe as far south as San Francisco?) and out in the channel, where the depth was about 800'. We drifted calmly with no sensation of horizontal (N/S/E/W) movement and easy vertical orientation with the lamps hanging at depths of about 15', 35', 75'. After about 35 minutes, the bottom gradually became visible -- the current had shifted and we were moving East/North-East, not North/North-East, and were now above a sandy indistinct area about 50' deep. Not what anyone was expecting! The blackwater dive had become a more conventional night dive. Being away from dense reefs, moving over sandy flats, meant there wasn't much wildlife (a couple of lobsters, a few fish) -- and it made me appreciate the health & activity on a typical Cozumel reef
• nice sighting (and terrible photo) of a mantis shrimp, fully out of it's hole.
• more attempts at macro photography, with some not-utterly-crappy shots of blennies and a pipehorse
• Dinner at Buccanos at Night -- lived up to all the rave reviews. Great food & service, beautiful view, just a few too many mosquitos.
• On the opposite end of the dining spectrum, I really enjoyed dinner at Miss Deleites -- casual, friendly, really good food, tremendous vegetarian/vegan assortment

More of my photos of the trip can be found on Flickr, in the "Cozumel, December 2022" album.

 

[drrich2]

Glad you had a good time. There's just something about a mantis shrimp out of its hole that seems to say 'Come at me, bro.'

 

[Cozdreamer]

thanks for sharing. enjoyed the pictures. Laughed when the dog pictures showed up in middle of Cozumel underwater photos and the bird's nest with eggs too! You captured some great shots/memories!

 

[Jake 10]

Thank you for sharing. I also enjoyed the pictures.

 

[rmssetc]

thanks for sharing. enjoyed the pictures. Laughed when the dog pictures showed up in middle of Cozumel underwater photos and the bird's nest with eggs too! You captured some great shots/memories!

The dog isn't a Cozumel photo (it would be too warm for him!), but the hummingbird is from Cozumel, it was nesting in the lobby at Casa Mexicana.

 

[rmssetc]

Glad you had a good time. There's just something about a mantis shrimp out of its hole that seems to say 'Come at me, bro.'

Yeah, head-on it looks like they've got boxing gloves & an attitude.

When I first saw it, my thought was "what's that giant roach doing underwater"?

 

[Shasta_man]

Serious attitude. The hammer they hit things with is supposed to move at 10K Gs/50 MPH and break shells, etc. Very cool in person when they are looking with those stalk eyes out of their holes.

Thanks for the report.

 

[ggunn]

Serious attitude. The hammer they hit things with is supposed to move at 10K Gs/50 MPH and break shells, etc. Very cool in person when they are looking with those stalk eyes out of their holes.

Thanks for the report.

Actually they don't hit things. They move their claws so quickly that they cause a cavitation shock wave that stuns their prey.

 

[Shasta_man]

<<they cause a cavitation shock wave that stuns their prey.>> My understanding is that both happens. They hit the target and also what you describe of moving so quick as to cause a cavitation shock wave.

 

[drrich2]

Also, IIRC, some mantis shrimp club their prey, but some spear it. Their anatomy is designed to use one approach or the other, based on species of mantis shrimp.

Richard.