August 2017 – Cozumel, Mexico

Aug/Sept 2017             Cozumel, Mexico

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Derek and Jenny joined Charles on his annual pilgrimage to the island of Cozumel in the Mexican Gulf. With superb visibility and an ocean temperature of 29 degrees C, abundant sea life and beautiful unspoilt reefs, we truly were in paradise. If you are in need of a good dose of Vitamin Sea, this is the place to be. The accompanying pictures and video will tell the story better than I can.

The reefs of Palancar, Santa Rosa, Yucab, Cedral, La Francesa, Dalila and more all have their own special features, and no two dives are ever the same.

The wreck of Felipe Xicotencatl C-53 is a dream. Sunk in 1999, she was originally a mine sweeper, later converted to an Admiral Class gun boat. Displacing 1000 tons, she is 154 feet in length. We spent five minutes on the outside, but almost half an hour penetrating the ship and exploring her many levels, encountering two huge green morays and shoals of glassy sweepers, before posing for photos in the toilets and on the bridge.

The Yucatan peninsula is famous for its cenotes – freshwater caves, amidst the jungle, containing fossils, stalactites and stalagmites and lit in places by the most beautiful sunlight. They were an important part of the ancient Mayan civilisation and are mostly still owned by Mayan families to this day. We sampled the delights of the cenotes known as El Jardin de Eden and Tajma Ha.

We were fortunate not to feel the full effects of hurricanes Harvey and Irma; nor were we affected by the earthquake, which occurred in the Pacific, just off the western coast of Mexico. Hasta la vista, Coz.

Photos    Nurse Shark Video   Grunts Video

 

Report by Charles Taylor

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