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

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Dive Palancar, Nov, 2011, by Randall S Preissig, TX, US ( Top Contributor 37 reports with 15 Helpful votes). Report 6358.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	I have dived Cozumel many times over the last 35 years. It is one of the few places that is actually getting better as a dive location. Before they established Palancar as a national park, you rarely saw a turtle or large fish. You now see them virtually every dive. The coral is spectacular--world famous for it's huge formations. Visibility can be the best I've ever experienced, and is always good. Wilma damaged some of the shallow reefs, but they are recovering rapidly. The dive operations, which were infamously dangerous 30 years ago(Undercurrent gained my and others' respect by reporting this--unlike "Dive Mags" that took advertising money) are now state of the art, with oxygen on our day boats, good dive briefings by professional divemasters, etc. As far as sightings, this was probably my best trip ever to Cozumel(out of 15-20). I was able to follow a GIANT spotted eagle ray feeding in shallow water for 5 minutes--close enough to touch if I'd wanted to. On the same dive, we were within touching distance of the largest turtle I've ever seen(and I've been to Sipadan)--a 6 foot loggerhead that was busy crushing conch shells for the hermit crabs within. Toadfish were seen anytime you asked, turtles on most dives, and a pair of seahorses on one dive. Small schools of Barracuda and Jacks, a large pompano feeding in the sand, huge groupers and parrot fish, multiple nurse sharks, an assortment of filefish, tiny shrimp in the anenomies, and much, much more. Night dives (3) always had several octipi in the open and too many lobsters(some HUGE) and king crabs to count. Stingrays were seen day and night. The Occidental Grand is great. It is working its way back to the 6 star resort it was prior to Hurricane Wilma and it's location minutes from the very best dive sites in Cozumel make it the optimal choice for divers and their families--and at a bargain price considering the quality of both. Packages of dives were $30 each, and tips were routine and usually deserved. The large number of cruise ships have changed the town forever, but they have had little effect on the reefs and distant resorts. Congratulations to Cozumel.
Websites	Dive Palancar
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Galapagos, Cocos, Tahiti, Fiji, Palau, Sipidan, Thailand, Burma, Australia, Red Sea, Hawaii, Truk, Caribbean
Closest Airport		Getting There
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny	Seas	calm
Water Temp	81-°F / 27-°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	75-150 Ft/ 23-46 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	All dives were group dives with the buddy system. Usually an 80 foot limit but some were up to 120 feet. Usually 40-50 minutes dive time. 700 pounds of air ends your dive. Always a 3 minute safety stop.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	N/A
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Each dive originated at the Occidental Grand dock. It was 15 minutes to the farthest dive sites. 4 dives are offered during every day and night dives MWF. This allowed you to use your room as your photo center.

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

Dive Palancar, Nov, 2011,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

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