Dive Cozumel

Cozumel Critter Diving was Fantastic in September 2018!

October 20, 2018 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

Antilles Sponge Crab! See the eye stalks?

Cozumel critter diving was fantastic last month! I have always loved the diving in Cozumel, but never more than now! Shore diving has become my favorite diving, but I still love the boat and drift dives, too. It has been so much fun to dive the shallow shore line and discover the little critters who live there, and that no one ever sees! Check out these fabulous finds! Diving with Mario Ceh of Scuba with Mario is always an adventure. He has sharp eyes and sees what others miss…lucky for me!

Do you love the Little Creatures in the Sea? You’ll find them in Amazing Cozumel!

November 14, 2017 By Tam Warner 9 Comments

Do you love the little creatures in the sea? You can find them in amazing Cozumel! Most divers who have traveled to several oceans are familiar with the term, “muck diving”. Muck diving is exactly what it sounds like, diving in muddy, silty substrate which can include coral skeletons and garbage. In such an environment, divers and particularly photographers, can find amazing little creatures and unusual fish. I am not saying that Cozumel has “muck”, but it certainly has shallow dive sites off the shore filled with amazing little critters!

And the rest of these photographs were taken on amazing Cozumel shore dives!

critters, critter diving — This is a Tobacco Fish, if you have any idea how small the bristle star is, you’ll know how tiny this little guy is, and it was on a critter dive in amazing Cozumel.

I have done a few shore dives with Mario, of Scuba with Mario. He has incredible eyes, and can find amazingly small critters! Truthfully, my eyes are so bad I can’t find the tiny, tiny stuff even though I wear a prescription mask. I’ve worn glasses since 3rd grade, but in the last couple of years my sight has really declined. I’m grateful when I dive with people who have great sight! I cannot believe some of the animals I saw with Mario…many for the first time!

critter, critter dives, little creatures, amazing cozumel — Pygmy or Slender Filefish….perhaps half the size of your pinkie!

The moral of the story is: don’t let anyone tell you you cannot find the little critters in Cozumel! As you can see, they are definitely there.

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What’s it about? Photos and fun facts about tropical reef fish, All Fish Faces is an underwater treasure of tropical reef fish faces, some fierce, some fun, but all a joy for fish fans young and old. Impressive, colorful photos and interesting facts — including names of every fish featured — create a colorful dive log worth experiencing again and again. Getting to know, and love, our ocean friends, and feeling the excitement of discovery, is the way to preserve the ocean for future generations! Includes tips on how to help conserve our ocean resources and save our ocean friends. 10% of profits will go to the Marine Megafauna Foundation so they can continue their scientific research to protect our oceans and ocean giants.

Columbia Deeps and Columbia Shallows are Sensational Dives on Cozumel!

August 3, 2017 By Tam Warner 2 Comments

columbia deeps, columbia shallows, cozumel, dive cozumel — It is so hard to photograph the beauty of these corals and the mountains that hold them!

Columbia Deeps and Columbia Shallows! Cozumel is a well known diving destination. Jacques Cousteau put Cozumel on the map in 1960, and he did a documentary about the mesoamerican reef, of which Cozumel’s reefs are a part. There are many beautiful dive sites on Cozumel, but I have to say that I love diving Columbia Reef. Columbia is quite far south off the island, and therefore it is never loaded with divers the way Palancar often is. The coral mountains of Columbia are breathtaking, and the shallow area is full of life. I think these photos will show you why I love it so much!

Isn’t it amazing to contemplate that we know more about the planets in our galaxy than we do about our own oceans? Our oceans are in terrible danger, and we must start doing more. There is a new documentary out that everyone should watch. I was interviewed for it but didn’t make the final cut. Check out Chasing Coral on Netflix. I have been in many of the places depicted, and I have seen the damage that climate change is doing. Yes, climate change is real. We must start paying attention.

http://www.chasingcoral.com/#film — We are losing, and we must fight back.

Two of the Best Dive Sites in Cozumel are full of Sea Turtles!

July 17, 2017 By Tam Warner 11 Comments

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I will receive a small percentage of sales, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting me in my travels, and my mission to encourage others to explore this incredible planet, experience other cultures, and make it a better place!

reefs, palancar, cedar pass, cozumel diving — The Palancar Reef System is amazing.

Dive sites on Cozumel often have turtles! I always love diving El Paso de Cedral (Cedar Pass) and the Palancar Reefs. I cannot think of a single trip I have taken to Cozumel when I didn’t dive them more than once. Palancar is beautiful, full of colorful coral and sponges (and turtles!). Palancar Reef is so large it is split into four sections: Palancar Gardens, Palancar Horseshoe, Palancar Caves and Palancar Pinnacles. The mountains and colors of the reef never cease to awe me. Huge pinnacles come up from the depths and take one’s breath away. I wish I had the ability to translate it into images. Cedar Pass, on the other hand, is a basically flat area with no large coral, but it does have a lot of small coral head areas, and under the ledges are some pretty amazing creatures! And I don’t think I’ve ever been on the reef without seeing turtles and a nurse shark or two. These reefs could not be more different, yet each is a fabulous dive site. Take a look!

An incredibly large and old Loggerhead. You don’t see them often on the reef, but they nest on the east side of Cozumel.

The fish are waiting for the goodies the turtle doesn’t eat, they are happy to have crumbs!

cozumel, turtles, diving cozumel, scuba — Turtles always have a clean up crew! In this case, a French Angel and a Yellow Head Wrasse.

reefs, cozumel diving, palancar, cedar pass, cozumel — These Blue Striped Grunts are hanging out in a recessed area on Palancar Gardens

Children of all ages love to look at fish faces! My first book, All Fish Faces, is an introduction to species living all over the planet, and fun facts about them. And of course, cool photos of fish faces! Meeting our fishy friends face to face can only help people understand and love our oceans.<br />

Why My Favorite Dive Site in Cozumel is All of Them!

July 4, 2017 By Tam Warner 5 Comments

cozumel diving, sea turtles, about cozumel — Palancar Gardens is a very beautiful reef.

Diving Cozumel for 30 years (yikes!) means that I have been on just about every reef. Why is my favorite dive site all of them? (I still have two dive sites I have not gotten to, but hey, give me time). Cozumel is famous for its drift diving. Cozumel’s dive sites are mostly on the southern side of the west, or leeward, side of the island, between the island and mainland Mexico. Waters are much calmer in this channel, but currents can be quite strong. Most divers love to drift dive. You jump off the boat, and when you are done drifting, the boat picks you up. Much better than boats that anchor and you have to swim back to (in my humble opinion).

Currents are a blessing and sometimes a curse. In strong currents you can be swept along so quickly there is no way to take a photograph, and less experienced divers can have a tough time learning to deal with it. With the incredible stony coral in Cozumel using a hook to stop and look around is not an option. I have never been in a current here that was too strong for my skill set. I love current dives, I love the dives where you don’t feel a lot of current, and that is basically why my favorite dive site in Cozumel is all of them! Each site has its unique features, and I absolutely love the dives where there are a lot of turtles. Seeing sea turtles is always a thrill! They are endangered, and Cozumel is very fortunate to be a nesting site for Green Turtles and Loggerheads. We mostly see Hawksbill Turtles on the west side of the island, even though they don’t nest here. They nest on the mainland, and apparently they like to hang out on our island reefs. They are very welcome! Of course, I love most all marine creatures, but it must be said that turtles are very special. We all need to do our part to make sure we protect these critically endangered animals, and our oceans, so that our children and grandchildren can also feel the wonder of seeing them in the wild.

No Matter How far I Roam, I always come Home to Cozumel

June 18, 2017 By Tam Warner 11 Comments

cozumel, scuba, home, dive cozumel, colors of cozumel — The first sunset from the deck.

I have roamed all over our amazing planet, and there is so much more to see! Having walked on seven continents, I have been privileged to see the most beautiful, fantastic, and incredible sights. Every place is so different and so unique, and I have loved all of my travels, and treasure my experiences, both good and bad. Travel is the very best teacher, and for me, a way to learn, humble, and challenge myself at the same time. But…no matter how far I roam, the colors of Cozumel always awe and thrill me. This easy, breezy, non-pretentious island welcomes me home, I am reminded every time I come why I love it so much.

The ocean has many colors of blue, and the diving here is wonderful. I always forget the mountains of colorful corals and the creatures of Cozumel.. I love to dive the multi-faceted reefs here, and now I am trying my hand at macro photography (close up photography as the pictures below) I am discovering new dive sites and meeting new people!

cozumel, cozumel colors — A cushion seastar!

cozumel, diving, home, colors of cozumel — Close up of sea star leg. These podia serve two purposes, for movement and capture of prety.

colors of cozumel — One of the most beautiful sights are these flowing social feather dusters. They are actually worms!

It is a small world, as we all know. My next door neighbor and friend Lyn and I have been coming to Cozumel together for longer than I want to admit! Ten years ago Lyn brought some friends down and one of the women happened to be the mother of a school mate of my daughter’s. A few nights ago, her son had his wedding at Villa Torres, and the ceremony was on my front yard! It was so exciting for me to be able to give them a place for their ceremony! The sunset at the end of the ceremony was so dramatic it must be a good omen for the bride and groom!

My husband, Randy, has been delayed, but I hope he gets down here any day now. He loves the island as much as I do.

Dive Cozumel

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