Dive Sites
Site Name |
Description |
****Still a work in progress.****
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| Boca Ciega | This site we dove the other day 11/23/04. Inside the marine reserve to the south of the next site listed. Canyons were higher and tighter together then just up north. Still ran into a pair of eagle rays that were up in on top of the reef in 50ft of water. Good sized groupers and other species of fish. |
| Eagle Ray Canyons | This site is great for the first dive of the day. In the early morning there is a good chance of running across spotted eagle rays. After entry, swim out towards the reef edge. There hand out for a while or slowly head along the edge. In general you run into one or two eagle rays, but on occasion we have seen schools as large as 12 rays. |
| Hol Chan Cut | This site is where 99% of night dives on the island and for awhile most if the instruction began here. It is a shallow dive that if you ask most of the locals they will say the same thing. It is either the best dive on the island, or the worst. It all depends on the tide and current flowing through the channel. Still the most popular snorkel spot even with the increase in park fee to $10USD imposed Nov. 04. If the weather is bad this is where most divers end up as its the main divesite inside the reef. |
| Pillar Corals | This site is often done as the second dive in the reserve or as one of the dives for open water certification. Starts in shallower water than most of the other sites. Bottom is about 40ft, and you can go up and over to the pillar corals and still not break 60ft. |
| Hol Chan Canyons | Last site inside the Hol Chan Marine Reserve on the north end. |
| Hol Chan Cenote | Haven't been here yet. You can actually see this one when you fly into or off the island. |
| Borderline | More of what I would call "Patch Coral". The canyons are shallow and wider apart with more sandy bottoms. |
| Tresoros Boca Chica Canyons |
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| Cypress Reef | This is one of the other shallow dive sites that is back in from the for reef. Will start in 40ft of water and can spend the majority of the dive between 40-60ft. |
| Cypress Tunnel | This site is known as one of the main swim through's in front of town. The tunnel you enter is right down the canyon wall from the anchor line so its the easiest to find. Tunnel is narrower and tighter then at Victoria tunnel. It has a hole that opens upward so you get some light that enters about halfway of its length. |
| Victoria Tunnel | Another of the tunnel dives. This one is a bit better for beginners for those that are reserved with confined spaces as it is a bit larger an has more light that enters it. |
| Victoria Canyons | |
| Dos Cocos Canyons Royal Palm Canyons |
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| Dardanelos Cut | In front of a cut this can be a tricky dive depending on the tide. On an outgoing tide the current pulls you out off the fore reef into deeper water and the visibility can be poor from the sediment from inside the reef. The Canyons are fun and the coral is in very good condition. If the conditions are right it's a great dive with good marine life. |
| Tuffy Canyons | Most obvious feature is the large concrete block in the middle of a large sand patch. A remnant of an attempt to anchor a cruise ship from what I have heard. |
| San Pedro Cut Tuffy Cut |
Recently with the increase in the fee for the Hol Chan Reserve an instructor friend decided to set a couple of buoy's at the cut to tie to for when he does instruction. Shallow site 20' with some wreckage of what I have heard was an old shrimper there to look at while exploring the coral wall. |
| Esmerelda | |
| Tackel Box | |
| Mayan Princess | The only trace of this site I have seen is the concrete block that was where the original mooring was anchored to. If you dive Tackle Box and "drift" north you will possibly reach the block after about 45min. Still yet to explore this area. |
| High School Christ of The Abyss Paradise Canyons |
One of my personal favorite swim through / tunnel dives on front of town. I would say its the longest as its really a canyon that you can enter with the coral that overhangs on top so there is a crack running the whole length. Its a great dive for photo ops with the statue. |
| Boca Del Rio | 12/20/04 Currently there was a life jacket that some one attached to the mooring line to mark it. As its near to the Tres Cocos cut it can be affected by the tidal exchange. Mooring is gone, have to work on finding this one again. |
| Tres Cocos Cut | |
| Tres Cocos Canyons | |
| Caoba Canyons | |
| Buena Vista Canyons | |
| Love Tunnels Pescador Tunnels |
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| Punta Arena Canyons Pescador Canyons |
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| Sandy Point | |
| *Un-named* | |
| M&M Tunnels | |
| Mata Canyons | |
| Catalan Rocks | |
| Mexico Rocks Cenote | |
| *Un-named* | |
| *Un-named* | |
| Mexico Cut | |
| *Un-named* | |
| Mexico Tunnels | |
| Mexico Canyons | |
| Santa Rita Canyons | |
| Palmero Cut | |
| Palmero Canyon #1 | |
| Palmero Canyon #2 | |
| Punta Azul Canyons | |
| Basil Jones Cut | |
| Basil Jones Canyons | |
| Tortuga Canyons | |
| Robles Canyons | |
| Rocky Point Canyons | |
| Franco Canyons | |
| Ises Bowl | |
| Bacalar Chico Canyons | |
Wrecks |
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| Amigos Wreck | |
| Jamaican Freighter | |
Exploratory |
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| Tarpon Hole The Wall The Commandments |
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