What happened to Cozumel?

[Joneill]

I don't find that video to be any better than I remember Cozumel and described it on this thread.

Some small scattered fish, nothing big, occasional interesting corals, most reef areas dull and lifeless.

Better than a great day at work but hardly "stunning".

Agreed - as always, I’d enjoy the dive, but I didn’t see anything I’d describe as “stunning” in that video.

I honestly don’t think there is anything truly stunning in the Caribbean these days. I still enjoy and will continue to dive there and still see some cool stuff (large Manta on last trip to Aruba in November) - but I manage my expectations vs other locations. I’ve only been diving since 2015 and I am sad to say that I have seen noticeable declines in reef health in the Carribean in that relatively short period of time.

You want stunning? Head to Indonesia. I just got back from my second trip there a few weeks ago and it was incredible. Obviously, there is a significant cost/travel time tradeoff vs the Caribbean but I’d strongly recommend getting out that way to experience it (if you have not already) before it changes as well!

 

[JFS]

Punta Sur sites are unlikely to be affected by building on Cozumel. The current pretty much runs to the North.

You'd be surprised by some of the algae growth seen at punta sur, maracaibo. The island is limestone and full of fissures. Everything leads to the ocean. Lots of pollution

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

So what do you think? Have you formed an opinion of the condition of Cozumel reefs based on what you have read on Scubaboard, or are you inclined toward going there to see for yourself?

I haven't decided yet.
I don't want to waste money on flight, lodgings, diving, and time off if it's as bad as some people claim it is. Just because it's warm water doesn't mean crap to me, it needs to be worth it.
Jump them not me, they're the ones saying it sucks.
If I'm going to spend my hard earned money on diving it needs to be really good. I already have access to an ocean, it's not like I'm land locked. An hour fifteen minutes puts me up
on my local coast where there's some great diving. A few hours down the freeway and I can be in Monterey, or a day driving and I'm in Socal on a boat. Warm water would be fun, no wetsuit or hood, but given the choice if there was more life, more freedom, and more to see in cold water as opposed to something that's just OK in warm water, I'll take the cold water every time. Cold is not a deal breaker for me.
I've dived places in Hawaii that were "amazing" to some people. I thought they were OK but repetitive and boring after about 5 dives. The most fun I had was actually on my own off the beach at the resort north if Kona just freediving for hours having an experience swimming around with a curious turtle.
The DM lead scuba dives were OK but to be honest I'd rather dive here.
I'm not a big drinker so I don't care about night life or party scenes. I don't want to constantly be on guard for crooked taxi ripoffs. I don't like the feeling that locals are always looking for an angle to shake you down. I don't like cruise ships. That's the kind if stuff I hear about Cozumel.
If I want to look at rocks I'll just go up to Tahoe. There's actually some pretty amazing terrain and structure if you get on some of the walls. Lot's of crawdads too.

 

[LI-er]

Agreed - as always, I’d enjoy the dive, but I didn’t see anything I’d describe as “stunning” in that video.

You want stunning? Head to Indonesia.

Can you provide more details? Where exactly in Indonesia, which sites were he best, and which charter did you use?

 

[LI-er]

Next time, bring a strong light.
Colors drop out as the depth filters the sunlight.

I always carry a torch. And wonder if divers without lights have any idea what they're missing. It brings the colors on whatever decent coral remains, especially in areas that are not in direct sunlight and gives an occasional glimpse of something larger hiding under a ledge or crevasse.

But again in Cozumel and most other areas in Mexico and the Caribbean there isn't all that much to shine a light on.

 

[ggunn]

I haven't decided yet.
I don't want to waste money on flight, lodgings, diving, and time off if it's as bad as some people claim it is. Just because it's warm water doesn't mean crap to me, it needs to be worth it.

IMO the conditions at Cozumel are nowhere nearly as bad as the "glass is empty" reports would have you believe, but as I have said (many times) it's subjective. Every time I go to Cozumel there are hundreds of people diving there, even when it is during a low season, so along with my personal observations that indicates to me that the worst reports are overly pessimistic in many people's minds. Maybe the divers who are most critical of Cozumel dives are well-to-do world travelers who can afford to dive all over the world, but that isn't me. I do not doubt that there are dive sites elsewhere in the world that I would find more "stunning" than Cozumel, but I will likely never see them.

I can tell you that in addition to the warm water, the visibility around Cozumel far exceeds what it was in Monterrey Bay when I dove there. For example, one day when I was diving one of the Palancar sites, I came out of a swimthrough onto the wall down about 60 feet, I looked up and I could plainly read the name painted on the side of the boat that I was diving from.

To really know what conditions are like in the waters around Cozumel, you'll have to go and see for yourself; as you have seen, reports in here are all over the map. Like many other things in life, as my dad used to say, "You pays your money and you takes your chances."

 

[gianster]

I too use to dive with BXTsea. I first dove with Pedro in 2003 and went back every year 2-3 times a year and always in February for the Eagle rays. He basically taught me how to be a good diver have hundreds of dives with him. I miss the hell out of him. He went with Bianca at Blue Project after Christi left. Before 2005 no question the diving and the reef was in better shape and will never get as good as it was but I still think it’s the best in the Caribbean. Just got back 2 days ago. We had 13 eagle rays together at Cantarel and 3 singe sightings. We saw eagle rays pretty much every dive. I thought the reef looked a lot better then last year and fish life was better than last year. Still my favorite in the Caribbean and always will be my home away from home.

 

[Joneill]

I too use to dive with BXTsea. I first dove with Pedro in 2003 and went back every year 2-3 times a year and always in February for the Eagle rays. He basically taught me how to be a good diver have hundreds of dives with him. I miss the hell out of him. He went with Bianca at Blue Project after Christi left. Before 2005 no question the diving and the reef was in better shape and will never get as good as it was but I still think it’s the best in the Caribbean. Just got back 2 days ago. We had 13 eagle rays together at Cantarel and 3 singe sightings. We saw eagle rays pretty much every dive. I thought the reef looked a lot better then last year and fish life was better than last year. Still my favorite in the Caribbean and always will be my home away from home.

13 eagle rays is nothing :


Only kidding, 13 is way more than I’ve ever seen diving (above was snorkeling in the Bora Bora lagoon).

 

[Living4Experiences]

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

2 tank dive is about $220-$240