Check it off the Bucket List – BEST OF MEXICO 2016
Everyone should have some sort of bucket list, whether you keep it in the back of your mind or write down a full-blown list. All of us should challenge ourselves in small and big ways, see something different and think outside of the box every once in a while. We work hard, go to school, raise a family and more – but we all need to have a change of scenery every so often. Snorkeling with Whale Sharks is definitely something to add to your list. We have a trip of a lifetime – The BEST OF MEXICO from July 2 through 9 – satisfying divers and snorkelers of all experience levels.
Cozumel Reef Diving and Snorkeling
The first three days will be filled with drift diving in Cozumel (boat; 2-tanks) with unlimited shore diving included. If you arrive early enough on July 2nd you can also shore dive that day as well. The gentle drift diving is spectacular in Cozumel since it is known for the Caribbean’s clearest waters, with visibility averaging at least 100 feet and sometimes reaching 200 feet or more. There are hundreds of fish species that reside around Cozumel’s reefs, which are most famous for rich coral growth, Soft Gorgonian Fans and giant Elephant-Ear Sponges that can measure 10 to 12 feet across and grow at 100 feet.
Diving with the Whale Sharks
Your next two days will be getting to know your local Whale sharks, the largest living non-mammalian vertebrate. These gentle giants, which can be more than 40 feet and weigh up to 11 tons, use their mouths to filter feed on the tiny plankton, small fish or eggs, posing no threat to humans or any other aquatic life besides their tiny food!
Whale Sharks are known to gather at approximately a dozen feeding locations around the world, from Western Australia and Indonesia to Belize. However, between May and September, the waters of Quintana Room, a state of Mexico, see the migration of more Whale Sharks than other destinations attracting approximately 800 or more in a given season. Additionally, the Manta Rays seem to like traveling with them seeking food in the nutrient-rich waters. Their lifespan averages around 70 to 100 years but the research is difficult to prove. They are also rarely found in waters below 72 degrees – much like most of us humans.
We will have a private, chartered boat to take us out for two days to where they will be traveling. The boat captains always get a last-minute status very early each morning to determine exactly where the gentle giants will be going. This is a snorkeling venture only since visiting them on scuba is unnecessary – as they mostly swim at the surface. We will start the day with a great briefing from our boat captain and guides going over the strict laws protecting these beautiful creatures. Only two snorkelers are allowed in the water with a guide at a time. This gives us quite a few opportunities each day to get in the water with them. Watching the Manta Rays swimming along your side is a sight to see, especially when they breach which under normal circumstances, is a rare occurrence!
See you in the Cenotes!
Our last excursion will be to go to the exquisite, ancient Cenotes, near Playa Del Carmen. This last leg of our trip of a can be enjoyed by all – snorkelers, open water divers, cavern divers and cave divers. The Yucatan Peninsula is unique. It is comprised of a limestone shelf with no rivers at the surface! In fact, all of the rivers flow underground. Since limestone is extremely porous, and the carbonic acid of the water will etch, carve and collapse the limestone shelf, it forms caves, caverns, pits and sinkholes for all of us divers to enjoy. Beautiful mazes and sink holes have been created speckled with stalactites and stalagmites. The crystal-clear, deep, blue waters and exposed tree and plant roots add to the stunning, cathedral-like view.
Please join us on our first collaboration with Camilla from Single Divers, she has taken hundreds of snorkelers and divers alike on this worthwhile trip for quite a few years and knows where all of the great places are to sightsee, eat and dive!
For more information, visit: https://adventuretampa.com/event/best-of-mexico-trip-cozumel-cenotes-and-whaleshark-encounters/