Scuba diving in Cancun and Isla Mujeres is all about the coral reefs of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef - the longest in the western hemisphere. Explore sand channels in search of nurse sharks and eagle rays, comb the coral for cool macro creatures, and peer under ledges for the elusive splendid toadfish. You're also likely to spot massive barracuda, turtles lazing in the shallows, and schooling reef fish by the thousand.

Diving Cancun's wrecks

The C-58 or General Anaya is Cancun's most popular wreck dive, with depths between 20 - 30 metres, easy penetration and an open cargo area. Used as a minesweeper during World War II, this vessel was purpose-sunk in the 1980s and now hosts a lively artificial reef, visited by eagle rays, turtles, and reef fish. The C-58 was badly damaged by Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and now lies in two pieces, with scattered piles of wreckage sheltering macro wildlife like seahorses! Nearby Puerto Morelos is also home to the C-56 minesweeper which offers more challenging penetration and is an ideal place to earn your speciality certification.

Diving MUSA

With over 500 submerged sculptures, MUSA is the world's largest underwater museum. This site is ideal for beginners, and with outstanding visibility and calm currents, is a top spot for underwater photography. While most of the statues are quite new, a few have been submerged long enough to start growing coral. Colourful reef fish, sea turtles, and large southern stingrays can be seen here.

Whale sharks and sailfish of Isla Mujeres

Every year between May and September, huge congregations of whale sharks are sighted around the smaller islands of Holbox and Contoy to the north of Isla Mujeres. During the peak season between July and August, encounters are guaranteed by most operators! Yucatan's whale shark tours are snorkelling-based, as per Mexican law, and include a mandatory environmental and safety briefing, ensuring the safety of visitors and whale sharks alike. Small groups of swimmers are permitted to approach each animal for a limited amount of time while keeping a respectful distance.

During the winter months between December and March, these same waters attract sailfish to feed. Snorkellers can spot these graceful pelagic predators darting in and out of baitballs - tight schools of tiny fish - whilst wildly flashing their colours as they hunt. Snorkelling tours generally include snacks, drinks, equipment, and the marine park entry fee.

Manta Valley and Scorpion Reef

Scuba divers have been flocking to Cancun for decades, but some more remote areas have managed to stay off the mainstream diving radar. Manta Valley is a recently discovered series of seamounts roughly three hours offshore, where giant oceanic mantas gather. Cold upwellings attract the rays from May onwards, and many operators have observed a peak in sightings during October and November.

Northwest of Isla Mujeres, Arrecife Alacranes, also known as Scorpion Reef, represents some of the region's most unspoilt coral reef diving. This national park is part of the Campeche Bank archipelago, a seldom explored ecosystem bridging the gap between the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

Day trip diving

While you’re diving around Isla Mujeres and Cancun, you don’t have to miss out on Yucatan’s other spectacular diving. Day trips can be organised to experience bull shark diving, exploring Yucatan’s cenotes, and reef diving on Costa Maya further south. But bear in mind, you can expect between one and two hours of transit each way between Cancun and these areas, and of course, the trip is quite a bit longer from Isla Mujeres.

0 dive resorts in Cancun and Isla Mujeres, Mexico

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