Scuba Diving Mexico: The Top 10 Dive Sites
Mexico is known for its beautiful, unique, and diverse scuba diving. From cage diving with great white sharks to drift diving with sea turtles, Mexico’s dive sites are recognized to be some of the best in the world. You are guaranteed to see a wide variety of vibrant fish and unique underwater landscapes that will make you feel like you are in a different world. Mexico is known for its lush coral reefs and its famous cenotes, which are sinkholes that offer rare opportunities for cave and forest diving. No matter where you dive in Mexico, you will be blown away by the natural beauty of the ecosystems you witness. To help you start planning your next trip, we have included 10 of the best places to dive in Mexico. Let us dive in!
Cancun
Cancun offers majestic diving sites that are known for their crystal clear water visibility up to 100 feet deep! Cancun is also known for its warm waters and unique scenery. There are a variety of different dive sites in Cancun that will provide you with an unforgettable underwater experience, but the underwater museum dive site is one of the best.
Located in Quintana Roo in Cancun, the Underwater Museum dive site was created by a non-profit organization that is based in Cancun, Mexico. Their main goal as an organization is to preserve and create art. The Underwater Museum was created and organized by Marine Park Director Jaime González Cano. His objective with this dive site was to protect the reefs by creating an alternative dive site that limits the number of divers around the coral reefs. The underwater museum is a unique dive site that is home to a variety of vibrant fish, underwater plants, and unique art, promising an unforgettable experience.
Socorro Islands
If you are a thrill seeker, this is the dive for you! Located amidst the Revillagigedo Islands of Mexico, Socorro Islands is an exotic volcanic island that is recognizable by its desolate landscape. The Socorro Islands offer a unique type of diving, so if you are wanting a dive with colorful and vibrant coral reefs, I would dive elsewhere. This dive site is popular because you are able to dive with “ocean giants” or dolphins, sharks, whales, and enormous manta rays. Schooling Hammerhead sharks and families of Humpback whales are often seen at this dive site. One thing to note about this dive site is that it is for advanced and experienced divers. Due to deep ocean currents, possible rough weather conditions, intense walls and pinnacles, this dive isn’t for the faint at heart. If you are brave enough and are looking for an adventure, this dive site is phenomenal and will give you encounters with some of the most incredible creatures of the sea.
Cozumel
Any diver you ask will say that the Palancar Reef dive site is their favorite dive site in Cozumel. The vibrant reefs are located on the southeast side of the island are easy to access. The site consists of exotic underwater coral structures and plants where thousands of species of marine life live. This dive site is a relaxing dive due to the slight current that will require very little effort and move you to the different sights of the dive! This dive includes swim throughs, which are small underwater arches and dramatic walls that are filled with exotic marine life. Friendly marine life such as Eagle rays, Nurse sharks, and sea turtles are known to frequent the dive site as well. This dive is known for its somewhat shallow depth, it’s vibrancy, and its excellent visibility, making this the perfect dive for beginners.
Playa Del Carmen
There are many beautiful dive sites in Playa del Carmen, but one of the most beautiful is Cueva Del Pargo. Cueva Del Pargo, meaning cave of Snappers in Spanish, is home to a huge variety of marine life, including macro creatures. If you look closely among the landscape you can find a variety of snappers, crustaceans, lobsters and more! At this dive site you can often see sea turtles, eels, drum fish, and much more. The reef at this dive site is vibrant, full of life, and I will impress you throughout the whole dive. At this dive site you have a great chance of seeing sea turtles and huge rays. If you like to night dive, this is a great spot because the reef is alive with bioluminescent plankton and octopus!
Barracuda Reef In Cozumel
If you are looking for a more thrill-seeking dive site, the Barracuda reef is the spot for you. This dive site is not for beginners due to the strong currents and potential to be lost at sea. This dive site is exciting due to its large population of Barracudas. The water is hardly touched by divers, it’s basically virgin. The coral reefs are vibrant and the incredibly clear water in Cozumel allows you to see the lush multi-covered coral covered valleys for miles. This is not a dive you want to miss out on. Make sure that if you do dive this site that you aren’t wearing any sparkly jewelry or nail polish, as it attracts the barracuda to you.
Puerto Morelos
Puerto Morelos is a hidden gem in Mexico. This little, picturesque town is roughly half an hour away from the international airport. Puerto Morelos is perfect for travelers and divers who want to feel off the grid but still be within a quick drive to a large city. You will find a shallow reef close enough to the beach to go shore diving. Try night diving and see the squid and octopus come out to play. You’ll even find a shipwreck just off the shore. The C-56 Juan Escutia shipwreck is covered in coral and bustling with sea life, especially barracuda and snapper. If you’re visiting in the winter, the shipwreck is commonly surrounded by spotted eagle rays. You don’t want to miss out on this phenomenal dive opportunity.
Isla Guadelupe
Located approximately 165 nautical miles from Ensenada Mexico, Isla Guadalupe is perfect for thrill seeking divers. This volcanic island is surrounded by great white sharks. Diving here is not for the faint of heart, be prepared for an adrenaline filled encounter with great white sharks. Isla Guadalupe has some of the best cage diving in the world. This insane diving site is home to at least 366 great white sharks. Facing these beautiful giants is a once in a lifetime experience. Along with great white sharks, you will also spot seals and elephant seals playing off the shores, hence the shark attraction to the island. If you are an adrenaline junky, the Isla Guadalupe is for you!
Chinchorro Banks
Banco Chinchorro is home to some of the best diving in the Northern Hemisphere. This reef hosts colorful sea life and intriguing shipwrecks. It’s always scuba diving season here, for the waters remain warm all year round and the visibility is excellent. With easy drifts and fluorescent reefs there is a sure to be dive for certified divers of all levels. More advanced scuba divers might head to the eastern side past the atoll, where the surf is heavier. These wrecks are more difficult to get to, but worth the hassle for the flamboyant sea life you will see. Green Hawksbill sea turtles can often be found just off the shoreline!
Yucatan Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula is home to world class cave diving. The Peninsula’s cenotes give you a unique scuba diving experience. You won’t see colorful sea life and reefs, but a different kind of beauty. The cave’s crystal clear water and different depths make for stunning light effects, intricate cave decorations, marine fossils, and even cave blind fish. Discover the Yucatán’s intricate cenote river system and over 1400 diving spots. These picturesque views include a combination of a beautiful jungle backdrop with stunning light reflections among the clear waters. Snorkel, Dive, or just swim, you won’t want to miss out on some of the best scenery Mexico has to offer. There really is no bad time to dive these breathtaking cenotes!
La Paz
Home to approximately 850 marine species, La Paz is sure to interest divers all around the world. Located in the Sea of Cortez in Southern Baja California, you may see creatures as big as humpback whales to as little as tiny seahorses. Along with everything in between- hammerhead sharks, sperm whales, whale sharks, mobulas, sea turtles, and eagle rays. Throughout the whole region of La Paz you will also find colorful schools of fish of various shapes and sizes along with starfish, wrasse, and green moray eels. While the Pacific ocean is cold, La Paz is at its warmest. During this time you will find whale sharks grazing on the plankton blooms, you don’t want to pass on this dive site.
Time To Dive In!
If you are thinking of scuba diving Mexico, there are really no bad dive sites. Wherever you end up diving, you will be impressed by the majestic marine life and the diversity of the reefs. Before you go to any of these dive sites, make sure to research so that you can be prepared for what depths, currents, and risks each site holds. Another thing to be aware of is that all of these dive sites require you to be certified and may require further certifications. If you are looking for more travel tips, follow our blog! For now, have fun, dive in, and enjoy the surreal underwater experience that Mexico has to offer!
