Dive Review of
Dive Palancar/Occidental Grand Cozumel in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Cozumel

 Cayman Islands, Belize, St.Croix, Utila, Nicaragua, Guadalupe, Key West,
Jamaica, La Jolla 

Dive Conditions

These dives were mostly drift dives and so were led by the DM and some
involved decompression so were limited by air and computer.  

No camera-only rinse buckets were provided and no area to lay equipment out
between dives. A litle difficult to compose images while drifting fast over
the reef. But I managed to get some good photos due to the amount of fish
and colorful inverts on the reefs.  

Overall Rating

Due to the great numbers of divers in Cozumel, if possible get together
with a small number of advanced divers and you may be able to do some more
exclusive sites further out or some that are really only for experienced
divers like "Devil's Throat" (Punta Sur). This is a coral tunnel
complex that starts at 80 ft. and twists and turns down to the exit at 130
ft. Not many fish on that dive but very interesting none the less. Requires
a light and you will need to do a short decompression due to the time below
100ft.
The reefs were in fairly good condition considering Hurricane Wilma spent
50 hours on Cozumel. Some broken coral and some sand in odd places on the
walls. But many normal Caribbean fish of all types and in great numbers!
Not much large life other than turtles, nurse sharks and Southern
stingrays. Mostly drift dives in strong current; you cover a lot of reef
and so you see a lot. Some unusual fish seen included Large Eye Toadfish,
Splendid Toadfish (endemic to Cozumel), Sargassum Triggerfish and Yellow
Stingray. Also saw Queen Angels and Cowfish in apparently mating behavior. 

Questions?
Send an email to the author of this report

What others have to say about Undercurrent
And get immediate access to ALL 559 dive reviews of Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan
and all other dive destinations immediately!