The riches of the Great Mayan Reef
The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef extends for more than 1,000 km from the northern Yucatán Peninsula to the Bay Islands in Honduras, and off the coast of Belize and Guatemala. It is the largest coral reef system in the Northern Hemisphere and the second largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The so-called "Great Mayan Reef" is a natural barrier that protects the coast from hurricanes and acts against erosion. The coral reef is part of a whole coastal ecosystem composed of mangroves, estuaries, marshes, lagoons and dunes. The Mesoamerican Reef is home to 66 species of coral, 30 species of mollusks and over 500 species of fish. Beyond this great biodiversity, it is estimated that more than 2 million people depend on its marine resources for their livelihood, between fishing and tourism.
Dives for all tastes at Quintana Roo
Whether you're a beginner or a more experienced diver, the Yucatán Peninsula offers unforgettable diving all year round. A number of sites are ideal for beginners or for simply discovering the seabed with fins, mask and snorkel (PMT). Many centers are run by French-speaking people, or have French-speaking instructors. Here are some of the best spots on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.
Around Cancún. There are around twenty easily accessible sites, including Punta Nizuc, Playa Tortugas, Punta Cancún, Manchones, La Bandera and El Tunnel. For an original dive, don't miss the Museo Subacuático de Arte (MUSA), between Cancún and Isla Mujeres. With over 500 anthropomorphic sculptures on the seabed, it's the world's largest underwater museum!
Isla Mujeres. Opposite Cancún, this small island is famous for its sailfish and whale sharks, which come to feed at certain times of the year off the coast ofIsla Contoy. The former, with their tapered rostrum and sail-like dorsal fin, are present from mid-January to late February. The world's fastest fish come by the dozen to feed on the schools of sardines. You can swim with them, but only by PMT (no diving, as the fish are close to the surface). The sea can be rough at this time of year, so you'll need to be a good swimmer. As for the whale shark, the biggest fish in the world (it can reach 20 meters and 30 tons), it comes ashore between mid-June and mid-September to feed on plankton. Here again, we swim with them on a snorkeling trip for some very special moments! Outside these periods, beginners will enjoy diving among the tropical fish, but more experienced divers will prefer Playa del Carmen or Cozumel.
Playa del Carmen. Its geographical location makes it a good base for a diving holiday. We're opposite Cozumel and not far from the Tulum cenotes (where all the diving agencies offer dives). In Playa itself, some 15 sites await divers of all levels. You can explore the wreck of the shrimp boat Mama Viña, 27 metres below the surface. But Playa's main attraction is the presence of bulldog sharks, between November and February. They can be observed by observing basic safety precautions, just 10 minutes from the coast.
Cozumel. This large island offers some of the best scuba diving on the planet, and it was Captain Cousteau who said so! A must-see. There are some twenty highly varied spots, most of them in the south-west of the island. Visibility is excellent, allowing you to appreciate an abundance of fauna: turtles, sharks, rays, groupers... You'll find around a hundred species of coral, colorful sponges, tens of meters of tower-like formations, faults, canyons, caves, caverns and spectacular drop-offs. The best spots offer drift dives for experienced divers. Palancar is the most famous, but other sites are just as exceptional: Santa Rosa, Colombia, San Francisco, Punta Sur, Maracaibo, Yucab..
Mahahual and Banco Chinchorro. A quiet seaside resort, Mahahual offers excellent conditions for snorkeling and scuba diving. It is the main access point to the Banco Chinchorro biosphere reserve. An aquarium to discover by diving or snorkeling, with magnificent corals and an interesting fauna: sharks (reef, hammerhead, nurse...), groupers, moray eels, rays, turtles... Banco Chinchorro is also known for its forty or so shipwrecks lying close to the reef. Most are ships sunk in colonial times. Do they still hold any treasure?
Xcalac. This isolated fishing village near Belize offers diving off the beaten track. The Arrecifes de Xcalac National Park is home to beautiful coral formations and typical Caribbean species: parrotfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, surgeonfish, barracuda... La Posa is a must for its schools of tarpons!
For long-lasting diving
Millions of tourists enjoy the peninsula's beaches and seabed every year. But tourism (and the coastal development that accompanies it) directly threatens the very resource that gave birth to it, endangering ecosystems already weakened by other evils: warming and acidification of the oceans, hurricanes, overfishing, deforestation and agricultural activities, pollution (sewage, urban waste, deballasting of ships...), invasive species such as lionfish, etc. It is therefore essential that divers, who are the first to benefit from this magnificent garden, are irreproachable in the practice of their activity: leave with responsible agencies, do not touch the corals or feed the fish, prefer the anti-UV t-shirt to the sun cream (harmful for the ecosystems), recover waste during his sea trips, engage in actions of environmental protection... All these small gestures can make the difference to safeguard the health of the reef and the life of the communities which depend on it.
