| Isla Mujeres diving counts numerous dive sites around the island with sites suitable for beginners
and others more suitable for the experienced diver. Among the
dives are Reef Dives, Deep Dives to several Shipwrecks,
the Sleeping Shark Cave and other sites with
natural formations like caves, tunnels and
arches.
Isla
Mujeres known for it's very good diving is a tiny island
off the coast of Cancun, Mexico. The reef system, which lays
next to Cancun and Isla Mujeres runs from Florida all the way
south to Honduras.
The close
proximity of the Manchones reef and the gentle
current makes Isla Mujeres an ideal spot for divers of all levels.
Many of the locations around the island go to a depth of only
30 - 40 feet/9-12 meters with an average water temperature of
78 - 82 degrees Farenheit (26 -28 Celsius). The extraordinary
variety of terrain, plant and sea life offer an exciting dive
for the beginner as well as the more advanced diver. Isla Mujeres
is known for its drift diving. Visibility is usually good 80-100feet/24-30
meters with more than 40 dive sites most of which can be reached
in less than 25 minutes.
Some
of the dive sites you may dive while in Isla Mujeres are:
Manchones Reef with over 800 meters/2'625 feet
of reef. Here great fields of elk horn, stag horn and brain
coral can be seen as well as vibrant colors of the reef
and abundant schools of blue tangs, wrasse, grunts, and snappers.
The depth is from 30-40 feet/9-12 meters.
Sleeping
Sharks Cave at a depth of 50-60 feet/ 15-18 meters
is an isolated and wild area to dive where you can see a variety
of sharks. The bull, black tip, gray reef sharks, and nurse
sharks are frequently seen.
Bandera Reef at 35 feet/11 meters a long, elongated
coral reef topped with elk-horn coral and cut through with ledges
and overhangs is halfway between Cancun & Isla Mujeres.
Schools of barracuda and pompano swarm over the reef as well
as large crabs, spotted moray eels, langosta, and angel fish.
This is a 40 feet/12 meters dive.
Tavos
Reef an obscure dive site is a small reef coupled with
unique lime stone formations that have created a variety of
crevices and tunnels. This dive site attracts gray and white-tip
reef sharks which seem to enjoy swimming through the arches
and overhangs.
Media
Luna is 30-40 feet/9-12 meters dive with unique arches,
ridges, and ledges that make it a great dive for underwater
exploring.
Fresh
water Cenote diving is easily accessible with just
a short ride to the mainland. Unique to the area are huge fresh
water caverns decorated with stalactites and stalagmites. A
true wonder to be explored by divers
There
are several spectacular wrecks with abundant
marine life in the nearby waters of Isla Mujeres:
Ultrafreeze is a 100 feet/30 meters deep sunken cargo ship 7
miles/4 km off Isla Mujeres recommended for advanced divers.
Corals and sponges have grown on the wreck over the years making
this ship is a truly a spectacular artificial reef. Turtles
and rays are also frequently seen here.
HondureÒo Wreck (Camaronero) at a depth
of 70 feet/21 meters is a shrimp boat 40 meters long, that sank
during Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. There you will see Green
Morey Eels 1.5 meters long, Nurse Sharks, Rainbow
Parrot Fish, schools of Cobia fish, Groupers, Amberjacks and
Snappers.
The
Chairel is a car ferry (and was also a floating restaurant
for a short time in the early 90s in the Cancun hotel zone)
that was sunk around 1999.
CaÒonero
Wreck (C55)at a depth of 90 feet is suitable for intermediate
to advanced divers due to the currents that regularly sweep
this wreck. . Also referred to as the Navy Boat, this U.S. Navy
minesweeper entered service in 1942 as the USS Symbol.
CaÒonero
Wreck (C53) lies at 85 feet/26 meters and is for advanced
divers because there is a current. Before transfer to the Mexican
Navy in 1972, this ship was also a U.S. Navy minesweeper and
patrolled these very waters during World War II.
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