By Rick Stratton
Publisher, Dive News Network

In my humble opinion, Cozumel is one of the best places in the world to dive. It literally has more divers per square inch than any other dive destination in the world and don’t just take my word for it…ask any diver who has been there. Recently I got a chance to visit once again and what a great trip!

This time around I was invited to come to Cozumel by my friend Renee “Apple” Applegate. Apple is the owner and manager of operations at Dive Paradise. She is a PADI master scuba instructor with over 30 years of diving and training experience. I couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Apple spent many years teaching SCUBA in the Red Sea while serving as head nurse in a Saudi Arabian hospital before heading south to Cozumel. She loves what she does now and is a well-respected member of the dive community.

Cozumel is 12 miles off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and although it is known for its white sandy beaches, it is the bounty of marine life that keeps divers coming back from all over the world. The remarkable clarity in the water with an array of blues and greens that are indescribable and have to be one of the reasons that Jacques Cousteau once declared Cozumel one of the most beautiful scuba diving areas of the world.  The area has a rich history and the first time I was there I spent a lot of time diving and exploring. On my second trip I wondered what more Cozumel had to offer…boy was I in for a treat. I have to say that, with Apple as my guide, this time around Cozumel was one of the easiest dive trips I have ever been on.

There are a lot of dive sites to explore in Cozumel. You will find amazing scenery in Santa Rosa, Palancar, Paraiso, Punta Sur and Maracaibo. Around Swallows’ Island you will find yourself in a natural aquarium full of life. It’s like swimming in a dream loaded with turtles, sharks, rays and dolphins. It is important to note that diving Cozumel needs to be a guided activity. There are a number of areas that should be for experienced divers only however there are places for beginning as well including a newly minted Cancun Underwater Museum sculpture park that sports over 400 artistic sculptures created by renowned British artist Jason Decaires Taylor. This incredible new attraction caters to both scuba divers and snorkelers.

The diving around Cozumel offers a chance to see what warm water diving is really all about. After spending some time diving with Apple I met up with Alan Martin of Sea Robin Charters. Alan runs a small six-pack operation that offers the diver a chance to dive in intimate company. Alan knows the dive sites in Cozumel. Diving with him was like getting a tour of Disneyland from Mickey Mouse himself.

There are a number of really interesting dive sites in Cozumel. For instance, San Juan Reef, which is a boat dive, is south of Punta Molas lighthouse, on the same reef as San Juan Two. There are pretty strong so this is a spot for experienced divers. Wire coral and purple sea fans are common here but the large pelagic are also a part of the landscape. The gray reef shark is a regular resident. There is a natural amphitheater called Pino’s Bowl here that is a must see.

Another dive site is the Barracuda Reef, also a boat dive and just South of Punta Molas lighthouse, to the northwest of the island. There are severe currents in this area, so the number of divers per boat is limited to six. It is for experienced open-water drift divers. Barracuda Reef is a flat strip reef sloping into the depths.

The attraction is the above-average chance to see large pelagic, such as barracuda, jacks, rays and sharks. The Yucab Wall is due west of Yucab. This site is favored by a number of diving operations. Large coral buttresses jut out and form a convoluted, scalloped outer reef edge with numerous gullies and swim through.

Finally there is the Chankanaab Reef, a 40-50 ft. dive where the current generally runs from North to South. According to Alan, the dive begins over a flat sandy area with a series of coral heads, which are home to king crab, spotted moray eels, and a large number of huge spiny lobster. To the South colonies of soft corals, sea whip, and gorgonians give shelter to grouper while they visit cleaning stations staffed by gobies and cleaner shrimp.

If wrecks are your thing Cozumel has those too with the C-53 also referred to as the Felipe Xicotencalt or The Wreck. The C-53 was sunk on June 5, 2000, with the purpose of creating an artificial Reef for scuba divers in Cozumel. The dive plan is usually 45 minutes of bottom time and once you penetrate the wreck your average depth is around 50-60 ft. The wreck already serves as shelter for several species of marine creatures, including schools of glassy sweepers, grunts and lobsters.

I stayed at Scuba Club Cozumel and I have to say that once you walk through their gates it is as if the world is left behind. There is a private beach and the entire resort is diver friendly. Scuba Club Cozumel is located on the waterfront approximately a mile south of the downtown ferry dock.

It is a beautiful resort with a Spanish-Colonial flare. It is right on the waterfront was Cozumel’s first dedicated diver’s resort.  It is a dive destination that offers an intimate place for divers to stay. The food was simple but elegant. Meals are included in the package served at their two restaurants located in the center of the resort at “the Fat Grouper Grill”. Every evening there is a different selection of entrees with a taste of the cuisine from the Yucatan region.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention my good friends at Albatros Charters in Cozumel. I didn’t get a chance to stop by and spend some time with them however next time I am in the area I will. Albatros Charters offers fishing, diving and snorkeling services on their boats the Libra, the Frigate and the Albatros.

So will I go back to Cozumel again? Absolutely! The friendly people, the incredible food and the excellent diving all make this dive destination one for the books…over and over again.■