What happened to Cozumel?

[ggunn]

What a strange thread lol

Lately it occurs to me
What a long strange thread it's been

Apologies to Hunter and Garcia.

 

[Nemrod]

I have been going to Cozumel since around 1980 give or take with some gaps. I have never considered Cozumel to be particularly fishy. If you want to see fish in copious numbers and big stuff too like turtles, sharks and groupers then the Keys and Gold Coast Florida. Some fun with trying sun balls, Cozumel Sept. and Nov. 2024.

 

[cozcharlie]

nothing to see in Cozumel these days (photo taken yesterday (Sunday)

 

[Nemrod]

The usual Cozumel Critters.

 

[Doc Harry]

Twenty years ago, we went to Coz for the first time, two months after hurricane Wilma.

The divers were all angry and upset, saying that the hurricane destroyed the reefs, and it was so bad that they were never coming back to Coz.

For us, it was the most gorgeous diving we had ever experienced despite hurricane Wilma.

In the last twenty years, we have been diving all over the world. But we go back to Coz every year, sometimes 3 times a year. Because Coz is so horrible.

 

[Allen-1]

I dove for the first time in 2022, in Roatan. To my eyes, the reefs were absolutely gorgeous, and I saw an incredible number of sea creatures.

Speaking to my instructor, who'd been there many times over the last decade or so, his perspective was that global warming and trash from humans had degraded the reefs, that the coral was dying, that the colors were faded.

Two different perspectives from two people seeing the exact same things. Both legitimate.

 

[mcohen1021]

Not surprising, I guess. Inflation hits us all. I'd hate to think of what it costs to dive in Hawaii these days.

The first dive operator I used in Turks and Caicos is charging 210 per day for two tanks!

Some of these rates are making the liveaboards seriously even out actually better value for your money

 

[ggunn]

Twenty years ago, we went to Coz for the first time two months after hurricane Wilma.

The divers were all angry and upset, saying that the hurricane destroyed the reefs, and it was so bad that they were never coming back to Coz.

For us, it was the most gorgeous diving we had ever experienced despite hurricane Wilma.

In the last twenty years, we have been diving all over the world. But we go back to Coz every year, sometimes 3 times a year. Because Coz is so horrible.

We may have been there at the same time you were - January 2006. We had been asking our friends at what is now Blue Angel how we could help them recover from Wilma's visit, and they told us that the best thing we could do for them was to come down and spend some money, so we did. Some of the reefs were undiveable because of all the sand that had been kicked up by the storm, but we still had a great time and had excellent dives. There were not many gringos on the island at the time; I don't think we encountered any other divers on any of our dives.

The reefs all over the world are experiencing the deleterious effects of warming waters and severe storms, and Cozumel is not exempted from it, but the diving there is still very much worth the trip for me. There are "glass half full" and "glass half empty" participants in this thread; count me among the former.

Anyone claiming that the "glass is empty" is just plain wrong!

 

[TexasGuppy]

"The Great Barrier Reef has shown signs of recovery in recent years, but it's still threatened by climate change and other disturbances.
Recovery
In 2022, the reef had the highest coral cover in over 36 years in two-thirds of its area. "

The sun cycles drives the sea temps. Not much we can do about it except enjoy the good times.

 

[Sure Squintsalot]

The sun cycles drives the sea temps. Not much we can do about it except enjoy the good times

You mean to tell me that theses fuhkkers are killing all the coral?