Which way does water flow in Cozumel?

[greylion]

Columbus knew about the Subpolar Gyre and how the Vikings rode it some while sailing to Iceland, Greenland, Vineland and back from his studies in Ireland, but he wanted a more direct route for southern Europe, erroneously thinking he would land in Asian spice areas. He found it ok. I bet he hated trying to take a southern route back. By Ben Franklin's time, they were well aware of the Gulf Stream heading to England and how to avoid it sailing to North America, skirting the Saragossa Sea in the middle of the Gyre. That map doesn't well illustrated how the Stream warms the UK, but it does.

One night we went in at Blue Angel, swam into the current on our diver around stingray prison and beyond with the intent of riding the current back, then it changed! Started to swim into it back but when I asked my home bud to shoot a compass bearing to the edge of the ray pen, I learned that he'd forgot how to use his. :silly: Knowing how well he follows me, I called it and we went out at the stairs and walked home.

Columbus huh? What year did he tell you that? Just kidding.

 

[Torontonian]

This is the North Atlantic Gyre...

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That's a neat diagram.

Columbus knew about the Subpolar Gyre and how the Vikings rode it some while sailing to Iceland, Greenland, Vineland and back from his studies in Ireland, but he wanted a more direct route for southern Europe, erroneously thinking he would land in Asian spice areas. He found it ok...

Columbus huh? What year did he tell you that?

I'm Columbus. I didn't know that. Really, Columbus is my name. People have trouble spelling or pronouncing my first name (translated from Taiwanese), so I picked up the middle name Columbus, much easier for people to remember/spell.


At first I was afraid to ask this question. I thought it was a dumb question. People may think howcome this guy had dove in Cozumel and still didn't know which way the water flowed. But it brought up a lot of interesting comments and especially that diagram.

 

[DandyDon]

Columbus huh? What year did he tell you that? Just kidding.

Like much of the info from that time, it's difficult to document "facts" that passed around without scientific journals & peer review, often not written down until the tales had been passed around, so accuracy is questionable - true! We do know that the Vikings had did sail to Ireland, Iceland, and Greenland, actually having settlements on all during the Medieval Warm Period when it was possible to graze livestock in parts of Greenland for some time. The archeological records of the last Greenland settlers are gruesome after that period ended.

While supporting info is scarce, it's really unlikely that ol' Chris would stake his life & reputation on a transatlantic exploration without studying the legends of Brendan "the voyager" and those of the Vikings.

In 1473 Columbus began his apprenticeship as business agent for the important Centurione, Di Negro and Spinola families of Genoa. Later he allegedly made a trip to Chios, a Genoese colony in the Aegean Sea. In May 1476, he took part in an armed convoy sent by Genoa to carry a valuable cargo to northern Europe. He docked in Bristol, England; Galway, Ireland and was possibly in Iceland in 1477.

That's a neat diagram.

I kind of get the idea that many know about local currents in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre but maybe are not aware of how the big flow is connected so like to include it in coversations at times. Some don't even know why the Gulf Stream is known by that name. To a large degree it enters the Caribbean north of South America, travels west to Central America, curves north to the Gulf with a branch that circle the Gulf (not shown on that illustration), thru the Florida straits, north to New England carrying juvenile tropical fish to Brooklyn, east to Europe with a branch that warms the UK (not shown on that illustration), and so forth. There are other Gyres in the world, generally with trash collections in the middles.

 

[ggunn]

North to south, or south to north. It was a few years ago that I dove in Coz, but don't remember for sure.

This is also for consideration if we start a dive/snorkel trip somewhere, then can be dropped off at a beach after the diving/snorkeling.

Thanks.

The current in the channel between the Yucatan and Cozumel is a pretty constant southwest to northeasterly flow. Next to shore, however, eddy currents produced by the prevailing current's interaction with the coastline and offshore wall can slow, stop, or reverse the direction in a given location. These eddy currents move around, so the direction and/or speed of the current where you are can change rather abruptly.

Mostly, though, it runs southwest to northeast.

 

[Christi]

It flows from south to north

No, not always. It depends on which reef among other things. Quite often, the currents actually shift and flow in the opposite direction of their "normal" flow.

Some currents along the shore are also different than currents on the reefs.

ddeborahdelamar gave a very accurate explanation

 

[DandyDon]

It passes between the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba from south to north. Eddies close to shore can sometimes be the opposite but the general flow of the Cozumel channel will be south to north.

I failed to include that the reefs we dive are close to shore and subject to those eddies at times...

Eh, I got Columbus right anyway.

 

[ggunn]

No, not always. It depends on which reef among other things. Quite often, the currents actually shift and flow in the opposite direction of their "normal" flow.

Some currents along the shore are also different than currents on the reefs.

ddeborahdelamar gave a very accurate explanation

I'm pretty sure that the current direction changes are local and due to eddy currents; I don't think the flow out in the channel proper is that variable. When we are coming back from fishing across the channel, the boat captain always points the bow at the south end of the island no matter what the current is doing out in front of the hotel.

 

[Christi]

I'm pretty sure that the current direction changes are local and due to eddy currents; I don't think the flow out in the channel proper is that variable. When we are coming back from fishing across the channel, the boat captain always points the bow at the south end of the island no matter what the current is doing out in front of the hotel.

I wasn't referring to the channel. I was referring to the currents around the reefs as that's what the OP was asking about. All this other discussion Don et. al are having is nice, but didn't really answer the OP's questions.

 

[The Kraken]

Down stream . . .

the K

 

[ggunn]

I wasn't referring to the channel. I was referring to the currents around the reefs as that's what the OP was asking about. All this other discussion Don et. al are having is nice, but didn't really answer the OP's questions.

Aw, c'mon, Christi. Doncha wanna fight about it?