| Playa
del Carmen diving in the Riviera Maya offers unforgettable diving experiences for divers of all
levels.There are beautiful ocean reefs, canverns and cenotes.
The Great Mayan Reef Barrier stretches from Cancun to Honduras
and is the largest in the western hemisphere.
The
water temperature normally stays between 26ºC/78ºF
and 30ºC/86ºF and visibility varies from 20m/60ft
to 30m/90ft depending on the weather and ocean conditions.
With
spectacular coral formations and tropical sponges, the Great
Mayan Barrier Reef is a natural refuge for a multitude
of marine creatures and a lot of dive sites are accesible right
from the coast. But that's not all, there is no area in the
world with as many underwater caves as the Mayan Riviera in
the Yucatan Peninsula's Caribbean coast.
The word
"Cenote" pronounced, say-no-tay and
is derived from the Mayan word, "Dzonot" which means
sacred well. A combination of various geological events and
climate changes have created an unbelievable and unique ecosystem
in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. These caves and underground rivers
were created naturally over 6,500 years ago. Over the years,
experienced scuba divers have explored these caves discovering
more than 300 miles of interconnected passageways and caves.
These cenotes that offer certified divers the opportunity to
explore something different are found only in this part of the
world.
Diving in a cenote cavern is an experience you'll not forget
and is particular to this area of Mexico. Cenotes are cavern
entrances to the underground river system of the Yucatan Peninsula.
The maximum depth reached is 50 feet (16 meters), with excellent
visibility, no current, and fresh water.
While
in Playa del Carmen you can dive these sites:
Cerebros
(brain) at a depth of 13m/39ft, the most northern dive
site in Playa del Carmen aquired it's name due to the large
amount of coral brains that are on this reef. Some of the marine
life you will encounter on this reef are king crabs,
eels and shrimps.
Los
Arcos name is derived from the two arches that form
this dive site and it's depth is maximum 29m/87ft. It also comprises
of a wall section, which is 5m/15ft high and is covered by hard
corals, sponges and sea fans. In the sandy area you'll find
turtles and stingrays. When the water is colder it is common
to see bull sharks and with some luck you could
just see whale sharks, mantas and large mammals migrating
throuh here.
Pared
Verde (green wall) is a must for wall lovers. First
there are small walls divided by sandy areas but as you go on
you'll come to the main wall which has great coral formation
and a lot of small and large marine life. Expect strong currents
at times. Maximum depth is 28m/84ft.
Tortuga
Reef (Turtle) counts among Playa del Carmen's most
popular dive sites owing to the large amount of sea
turtles, which live here. The reef is abundant with
corals and sponges. King crabs, nurse sharks, groupers
and tarpons are commonly sighted here.
Mama
Viña Wreck is a shrimp boat that was sunk in
1995 for scuba dive activities and with time it has overgrown
with coral and is home to a lot of marine life.
Punta
Venado is the most southern reef you can dive in Playa
del Carmen. This dive is for advanced divers as it's a multilevel
dive at a maximum depth is of 33m/99ft. Expect abundance of
marine life which includes nurse sharks, bull sharks, sting
rays, turtles, schools of tarpons and many other species.
|
Contact us