Dive Cozumel

My best dives in Cozumel!

July 25, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

Seriously, Seriously! Really? Really. I think I just had the best dives I’ve ever had on Cozumel. Thank you, We-B-Divin-Cozumel and the best dive master, Yasser Rosado! My daughter came into Cozumel, and she hadn’t been diving in two years. Off we went to Palancar Caves, and Cedar Pass, her LEAST favorite dives on the island. Allycat really does not care for too much current, and Cedar Pass is usually a high current dive. Yasser knows we don’t like going through the “swim throughs” at Palancar Caves, so we stayed above the corals…and we are so glad we did! We sighted 2 Black Tip Reef Sharks above us! They were small, and darting around the top of the reef. I took video of them, they were just a little too far away to take photos. We saw them several times on the dive, always above us. During the next part of the dive I sighted a glorious Eagle Ray across the reef, and began swimming toward it. I was ready with video because usually Eagle Rays see divers and head the other direction, but this one just kept on coming and kept on chewing whatever it was it was eating, and I ended up swimming right next to it for a bit. They are so incredibly beautiful, with beautiful wide wings with Cheerio shapes, and a long, beautiful tail. What a gift, just to be with it for a little while.

We also saw two big Green Moray eels, and one of them was sleeping! Kind of spooky, they look dead lying there with their eyes open.

A nurse shark made an appearance, as did turtles who were awake! Also, Southern Stingrays. Really, just incredible, wonderful, perfect dives at Palancar Caves and Cedar Pass. Cozumel is generally what I term, “relaxation diving”. Yes, all dives are drift dives and sometimes the current can be a little strong, but for the most part, the dives are easy going, with incredible visibility (100 ft plus) with gorgeous coral, tons of fish, and some exciting animals once in a while. It is not challenging diving (very rarely, anyway), and in 20 years I never saw any shark except Nurse Sharks (though last year we did see a Black Tip Reef Shark’s head with no body floating around). Pilot Whales and False Killer Whales made a one day appearance last year as well. No humpbacks, whale sharks or Manta Rays. It is always a true pleasure to dive Cozumel, but if you are looking for big Pelagic action, this is not the place to look for it.

The follow up to these dives were the next day, when I took photos of a family posing with a large-ish Hawksbill turtle. Rays, sharks, eels….great dives. Francesa and Santa Rosa Shallows never fail to delight with its variance of color, fish, and animals. Not to mention all the cool little things like shrimps, Christmas Tree Worms, Fireworms….you could spend forever under the ocean and never get bored.

Never been diving in Cozumel? THAT is something you should rectify immediately! Check out Villa Coronado!/

More Tofo Volunteers Arrive in Cozumel!

July 23, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

Marcel and Daniela arrived from Cancun around lunch, as we had a night dive planned. It was so wonderful to see Marcel and Daniela! It seems like no time has passed at all since our time in Tofo a year ago. Randy and I took everyone to the other side of the island for a drink. We were all excited for the night dive, it was Felix’s first, and Daniela and Marcel’s second (but they said their first night dive was not a big deal). Felix was a bit on the nervous side, but that is completely normal. We got to the boat, a 35 foot luxury liner compared to the zodiac in Tofo, where we were briefed, and we descended during twilight. It is best to do a night dive with beginners at sundown, the darkness comes on gradually, almost unnoticed, and it eases them into the experience. Night brings out different fish, different animals, and I so very much wanted them to see an octopus.

It would be really unusual for one to do a night dive in Cozumel and not see an octopus, but hey, you never know. I was worried during the dive until we spotted that first octopus, then ahhhhhh….I relaxed and enjoyed the next 5 octopi! Huge crabs, eels, open corals, lobsters, brittle stars…night diving is wonderful. And the colors are amazing! Using lights really shows the beauty and color of the reef and the corals. Just gorgeous. They LOVED the night dive (of course!). Afterward, we went to the Money Bar to eat. Diving makes one hungry!

The next morning Felix left us for Cancun and home to London…he starts an internship next week, so…holiday time is over for now for him! But 3 weeks in Mexico was a great way to celebrate his graduation! On the way home from dropping him off at the ferry Marcel wanted to know if we could do another night dive! Sure! I’m always up for a night dive! So the three of us went again, and had another great dive. There were several first timers on the boat for the night dive, so there was nervous energy down below.

Everything went well, though. Home to bed for our early morning dive adventure!

Off we went the next morning to Punta Palancar and El Paso de Cedral. Diving with us were Carol and Brian. Brian is a quadriplegic, and still is able to dive. He was a Salvage Diver in the Air Force, and I thanked him for his service. I don’t know if that is how he was hurt, but salvage diving can be quite dangerous. After they “gear” him up, the dive master on the boat holds Brian’s tank and that is how he dives. I am full of admiration for him…he and his wife are obviously strong minded individuals.

The dives were beautiful….we saw turtles and groupers and giant parrotfishes and eels and a nurse shark….very beautiful dives. We went to dinner with my husband and daughter, Ally, and our next door Cozumel neighbors, Lyn and Mark.

It was a fabulous meal in great company. We very much enjoyed it.

Alas, all wonderful things have an end, and Marcel and Daniela headed out this morning for Cancun to Philadelphia, then Daniela home to Munich and Marcel home to Zurich. It was so natural to be together, as though no time had passed. We discussed doing another volunteer trip together…maybe to Thailand. We will try to make that work! It meant so much to me that they came to Cozumel to visit me this summer…we had a very strong group in Tofo, and I feel connected to all of them. Living in the same house with people for weeks does tend to create bonds of affection, and I am very fond of Felix, Marcel, and Dani. Hasta Luego, mi amigos!

Mozambique fellow volunteers visit!

July 17, 2013 By Tam Warner 3 Comments

Felix, one of the young men I volunteered with in Mozambique, has come to visit me in Cozumel! He is traveling Mexico with 3 of his friends from Oxford University. Felix is now an Oxford graduate! Time for real life….but not quite yet.

He arrived yesterday and we did a long snorkel from my backyard over to Chankanaab. I wanted to show Felix the dolphins and check up on the nurse sharks. The dolphins were so interested in us! After an entire day of performing for people, they seemed very interested to see us through the fence. There were 6 or 7 of them who really checked us out and followed us as we snorkeled. They were so beautiful…smooth and serene. And best of all, the cross fences which seemed to “pen” or corral the nurse sharks were totally gone! So were the sharks, although they had been around earlier in the day when my friend Lyn and her group snorkeled over there. Maybe we will see them tomorrow!

Today we dove Columbia Deeps, one of the southern reef systems in Cozumel, with towers of coral, very beautiful. Not much in the way of fish, but when one hasn’t seen coral like that, it is breathtaking. We then went to an area known as “Cielo”, a shallow aquamarine area filled with starfish. I didn’t see many today, but my friend Lyn went later in the afternoon and her group saw plenty of them! After our surface interval we dove Punta Palancar, the very start of Palancar Reef, made famous by Jacques Cousteau. It was absolutely crystal clear, and filled with fish, turtles, and a hunting green moray accompanied by a Grouper! I actually took a short video of the eel, which I will try to post. I’m not sure I can, but I will try.

We dove with an older couple (70s) and their granddaughter, delightful people, but after the first dive the older man had a rough time of it and stayed out the second dive. I was worried when we surfaced from our deep dive as they seemed to be struggling. All turned out well.

Tonight Randy and I were treated to a delicious meal, Felix cooked for us. He even made his own tortillas! While in Mozambique I stayed way out of the kitchen….I was absolutely floored by the culinary abilities of Felix and Patty, a woman from San Francisco who flambeed pineapple….incredibly wonderful. Since I have trouble making toast, I kept a very low profile in the kitchen. Tonight we enjoyed shrimp tortillas with guacamole and Mexican potatoes…Felix found a recipe and off we went to Mega, the grocery. Excellent meal, Felix even bought us Mexican white wine. Delicious!

It seems a funny thing, really, to consider that Felix is the same age as my son and his friends, and yet the experience in Tofo bound several of us together regardless of age. Tomorrow Marcel (Switzerland) and Dani (Munich) will join Felix (Cambridge, UK) and I (USA, originally from Ohio) here in Cozumel. We have a night dive scheduled for tomorrow night, their first! I will be sure to tell you all about it!

Dive, Dive, Dive!

July 14, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

I am in my element! Today is the first day I haven’t been diving. I did a couple of beach dives with my cousin, Kathy, the first one was awesome. We went in at the Money Bar (a great oceanfront restaurant on the island, near our house), and came out right in front of Villa Coronado. The sun was shining, and I took some photos that I think are really good. Everything down there fascinates me. It is just amazing! Our second dive was not so great, I was very tired (beach diving is more work than jumping off of a boat in deep water) and we ended up too shallow, so the weight of the tank on my back was painful. Then the current became strong (of course) and we eventually had to take our gear off and walk in the ocean to get back! Remind me not to do two beach dives in one day, ok?

July 14: I am picking up this thread almost a week later. Yes, we have been diving, diving, diving! Charlie, Coop and Wes have been my dive companions. I am not 100% sure why they dive, they don’t seem to watch animals much, they are more interested in running in the sand with no fins on, or filming each other doing other whacko things. I am fascinated by everything down there….I never want to miss anything.

I am a little concerned though, the fish life on the reefs seems to have dwindled somewhat…whether the lionfish are making their presence known, or there aren’t enough sharks, or there are just too many divers, the reefs north of Palancar seem to be suffering a bit. I’ve been posting surveys for REEF, and plan to do more today.

It has done nothing but rain, rain, rain. It has been raining every single day, most unusual for this time of year. Usually it is so hot and relentlessly sunny (except for the occasional short rain burst) that you pray for rain! This week I am requesting dives farther south…Punta Sur, Columbia, Palancar Pinnacles. I am so excited, because some of my fellow volunteers from my trip to Tofo will be here tomorrow! It will be great to see Felix, and then Marcel and Daniela on Wednesday. I want them to enjoy really beautiful dives, pristine. I will keep you up to date on our week!

Check out more photos on my Dive Log page!

My boys and Nurse Sharks!

July 10, 2013 By Tam Warner Leave a Comment

When Randy and I built our home in Mexico, our children were 10 and 13. We came every summer for one month, and of course the kids wanted a friend to visit, so that basically turned into A LOT of friends visiting! Wes had 3 he always invited, and they were always ready to come, Alec, Cooper and Charlie. The boys have known each other since preschool, and elementary school. They are more family than friends. Through the years we have taken them to every tourist spot on the island, and some on the mainland. We taught them to snorkel, then to dive.

Alec, sadly, could not come this year, so the “Fab 4” is not intact, instead we have the “3 Muskateers”. We are just so happy they still want to come and dive! Randy isn’t diving this summer due to a health condition, but the 3 are here and diving with me! We’ve done several dives, including a night dive.

Two of them just graduated college, my son, Wes, and Charlie, and Cooper is managing a restaurant (or two or three). Real life hovers on the horizon, so I know these times are precious. Soon, they will be working and leading their

Haven't changed much! — Haven’t changed much!

adult lives, and it will probably be difficult to get everyone here at the same time. Of course, we talk about how they can bring their girlfriends, wives, partners, and eventually (omg!) their children. We have incredible memories here with them. Two years ago we had the boys and a group of girls, and they told me, “we like it better when you plan everything out for us.” LOL.

We didn’t dive today…and it is absolutely POURING outside! It has rained a lot during July, more than I can remember. Today we are also having thunderstorms. I usually like the rain, but I am ready for a real sunny day in the Caribbean.

If you noticed on my Facebook page, Travels with Tam, I posted questions regarding nurse sharks that seemed enclosed between four fence walls at Chankanaab Park. There appear to be a couple of bulges, so those must be areas they can get in and out of. I have been assured they can come and go, there is a hole in the fence. I’ll have to keep going over to see if I can ever see them out of the fenced area, would love to get photos of them freely moving around! There are tons of silversides, and a few groupers as well. Will keep you posted!

Diving in the Rain

July 5, 2013 By Tam Warner 2 Comments

Diving in the rain, oh diving in the rain…can’t remember the rest of it. Anyway, it poured. It was warmer down below on Santa Rosa Reef. Divers usually don’t care if it is sunny or not….what matters are conditions UNDER the water! With all of the rain, conditions below are still “stirred up”, there is still 80 ft or more of visibility, but there are particles in the water, and unless you are right on the subject, photos have backscatter. That probably has more to do with my lack of ability than the water. 🙂 So although it was absolutely POURING on the surface with rough water, it was calm and peaceful on the reef. The only problem? Too many divers. When the weather is bad, dive operations don’t want to go too far south because it would take forever to get there, so they tend to stay on the northern southern reefs (I hope that makes sense). So there were far too many groups on the reef. Our second dive was better, we did El Paso de Cedral (Cedar Pass), where only one other group was diving. The current on Cedar Pass was swift, it’s like being on a conveyor belt or an amusement park ride. We saw a nurse shark on Cedar Pass, on Santa Rosa I saw a Hairy Clinging Crab next to a “sucking in” giant anemone….very cool! I confess an absolute love for anemones…there are so many different kinds, and they fascinate me. I also saw a butterfly fish I’ve never seen here: Longsnout Butterfly. I took a lousy picture of it (there were two, as always, as they travel in mated pairs) just to be sure. I haven’t seen large amounts of butterflies or surgeon fish this trip….and that is a concern. The health of a reef can be measured by the fish present on the reef. I do volunteer fish surveys for REEF, so I try to notice the presence of certain species. Most of the time I do species surveys, I always have a camera with me so it becomes difficult to keep the counts, though sometimes I do that as well. Doing these surveys while you dive is a great way to give back, it is essential to keep track of life on the reef to determine its health.

Today is the 4th of July, and we expected fireworks this evening, but the wind is blowing a bit, and I heard from a friend today that last year, they did them in wind and caught the palapa of Carlos and Charlies on fire! I don’t think anyone wanted a repeat of that! We enjoyed a nice dinner at Primas, a long time standard in Cozumel that used to be on the Plaza downtown. It has moved, and the atmosphere has never really been the same since, although the food is every bit as good. I was saddened tonight to discover that the former Maitre’D, Juan Carlos, passed away of a heart attack in January. He was only 44 years old, and a very sweet man. It is always so hard to take when a person dies so young, with so much life ahead of them.

Primas has almost always had a roaming guitarist at the restaurant, and he is still there. Luis is an incredible musician, and although he is mostly playing La Bamba and Oye Como Va for tables, he truly is a musician. He plays the Malaguena for me, a classic flamenco piece, and Morena de Mi Corazon, a mariachi piece. He is gifted, playing a beat up guitar with nylon strings he has had since the beginning of time, I think, but getting incredible sound out of it. When in Cozumel, go to Primas and ask Luis to play for you. Amazing. My cousin, Kathy, is here with Randy and I, and she is becoming rather attached to scuba diving (it’s all part of the plan!). Another cousin, Lisa, is also a diver, as are my husband and children. The family that dives together, stays together! More diving tomorrow, and I hope you had a wonderful 4th!

Dive Cozumel

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