Welcome to the new Daily Dive Log
I’m trying something a little bit different with the daily dive log moving forward. I am going to post the daily dive log in blocks of Sunday – Saturday. One of the goals is to lighten the load of emails to our subscribers. Because we do two and sometimes three dives per day, and we wrote a daily dive log for each boat trip, it made for too many email updates. So what I’ve chosen instead is to create a single blog post each week featuring our daily dive log and within each I will share many excellent photos and videos taken during that week of diving. I’m hoping the single, weekly post of daily dive logs with bunches of photos is more appealing to the readers versus many daily dive log blogs each week with just one or two images. I think you’ll agree, so grab a coffee or a cerveza and enjoy the new and improved format for our daily dive log.
Sunday, May 20, 2018 AM Boat Trip
Captain: Domingo
Divemaster / Instructor: Ray
Weather: Mostly sunny and blue skies
Water Temperature: 80 degrees
Dive One
Site: Colombia Cordillera
Max Depth: 100 feet
Dive Time: 50 minutes
Key Animals: Splendid Toadfish, Black Grouper, Hawksbill turtle
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: This morning the ocean was flat and beautiful so we decided to go all the way to Colombia Reef. The swim-throughs and deep blue water we discovered were incredible and at about 80 ft we found a toad fish. Mike took the picture while Frazier was exploring farther from the wall. At the end we visited the shallow barrier and the turtle was eating sponge, cool!
Dive Two
Site: Cedral Pass
Max Depth: 60 feet
Dive Time: 60 minutes
Key Animals: Seahorse, Green Moray, Dog Snapper
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: It was a nice surprise to find this swimming green moray – Henry got a video of it! soon after we saw the sea horse. Mike and Joe swam back into the current to see it. It took them a bit to get back to us as they were a bit farther from the group. We each individually took a very nice selfie photo with the sea horse – so awesome!
Hippocampus reidi, but more commonly know by the name of the Longsnout Seahorse – a diver favorite! This one is hanging around Cedral recently.
Sunday, May 20, 2018 PM Boat Trip
Captain: Domingo
Divemaster / Instructor: Ray
Weather: Mostly sunny and blue skies
Water Temperature: 80 degrees
Dive One
Site: C-53
Max Depth: 70 feet
Dive Time: 50 minutes
Key Animals: Garden eels, Arrow Crabs
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: The ship wreck of the C-53 with the sun hitting the starboard side is perfect for pictures and Jessica had a nice camera to complete the task. First the propeller, then the engine room, and afterwards the head and at the end the bridge. All this dive was about the pictures with her friend who was doing apnea at 60 ft from the surface. It looked amazing, and Joe, Mike, and Frazier were helping to position everybody. Such a fun dive!
Dive Two
Site: Villa Blanca Wall
Max Depth: 60 feet
Dive Time: 60 minutes
Key Animals: Green Moray, Cushion Sea Stars
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: Our friends from Playa del Carmen are always looking to dive the reef walls and so Villa Blanca with its huge sponges is a amazing option. The deep blue in one side and the other side is covered with marine life. Frazier got a lion fish – we’ll make ceviche from that guy! Then I found a starfish and Jessica’s friend did not know what we were seeing until he got closer, really pretty! We surfaced with laughs and happy comments.
Heteroconger longissimus, but more commonly know by the name of the Brown Garden Eels. These are always nearby the shipwreck of the C-53.
Monday, May 21, 2018 AM Boat Trip
Captain: Domingo
Divemaster / Instructor: Ray / Frazier
Weather: Mostly sunny and blue skies
Water Temperature: 80 degrees
Dive One
Site: Palancar Gardens
Max Depth: 100 feet
Dive Time: 54 minutes
Key Animals: Horse-eye Jacks
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: Diana wanted to try scuba and it all went well with the exercises and descending. We saw a big school of horse jacks above the reef, but she did not wanted to continue due anxiety issues so we needed to ascend. Frazier, Mike, and Joe enjoy a nice long dive enjoying the many swim-throughs which Palancar Gardens offer.
Dive Two
Site: Santa Rosa Wall
Max Depth: 70 feet
Dive Time: 60 minutes
Key Animals: Dog Snapper, Splendid Toadfish, school of Horse-eye Jacks
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: It is last day of diving for Joe and Mike after a great long week with us. They wanted to try the signature wall of Cozumel – Santa Rosa. Along with Sam and Frazier we started the descend at the deep blue. It is a wonderful experience as we swim close to the reef and the colors and shapes are amazing. We hit the mandatory swim-throughs and in the second one there is the splendid toad fish I have seen for almost a year. Then we found the big dog snapper in the last swim-through. It was really big and not afraid of the divers – awesome!
The groupers hanging off of Santa Rosa Wall are always keeping an eye for the schools of Boga and Chromis.
Monday, May 21, 2018 PM Boat Trip
Captain: Domingo
Divemaster / Instructor: Ray
Weather: Mostly sunny and blue skies
Water Temperature: 80 degrees
Dive One
Site: Palancar Caves
Max Depth: 60 feet
Dive Time: 50 minutes
Key Animals: Hawksbill turtle, Spotted Moray
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: This dive site is an amazing spot. For Annie and Jill it is their first dive since last year and they are excited to try Cozumel. Sam joined us since we are completing the Enriched air Nitrox course this afternoon; this is a great dive for EAN32 application. The coral formation is so big that we can easily swim between the pinnacles. Half way thru we found a turtle and a spotted eel. Above the reef at only 30 ft of water there are the rainbow parrot fish, eating the coral which we can listen to – sounds so neat!
Dive Two
Site: Paso Cedral Pass
Max Depth: 55 feet
Dive Time: 55 minutes
Key Animals: Nurse Shark, Black Grouper
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: A few minutes into the dive Sam, Annie and Jill looked at me. We are all wondering what is making such a mess with the sand. We first saw the grouper staying near that spot and then when the sand settled up we saw a shark coming out of a shelf while another shark stayed underneath the shelf. It gave us the chance to capture this in video – it is just cool! we spend about 10 min just looking at this show. We finished above the reef and a turtle was swimming by, yay!
A grouper awaits for what the nurse sharks flush from hiding. Unfortunately for the grouper, the sharks were just fighting over bed space. What for the full video upcoming in our social media! It’s just too good to bury in our daily dive log!
Tuesday, May 22, 2018 AM Boat Trip
Captain: Domingo
Divemaster / Instructor: Ray
Weather: Mostly sunny and warm
Water Temperature: 80 degrees
Dive One
Site: Cedral Wall
Max Depth: 70 feet
Dive Time: 50 minutes
Key Animals: Many Hawksbill turtles, Green Moray
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: Annie wants to take a picture of the sea turtles so we visit Cedral Wall with hopes to achieve this goal. Sam likes to descend as soon as he is in the water so we all catch up to him to start the dive. Jill is happy to see the green moray swimming free and passed underneath her. Later we found the first turtle relaxing under the coral, then it was another eating the sponge, and another swimming… a total of 4 turtles. Picture task? Accomplished and then some!
Dive Two
Site: Punta Tunich
Max Depth: 60 feet
Dive Time: 50 minutes
Key Animals: Southern Stringray, school of Boda
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: This reef is known for its strong current. After a detailed briefing on strong currents we all descend and together we were drifting just like I planned. We stop to see the schools of grunts and then there is a little cave with tons of fish, glassy sweepers and grunts. We were joking about the counting we said is a 1000 fish tank, but I couldn’t count that quickly. Then a good size southern sting ray swims by – love those guys – and before long it is time to ascend. We all were doing the safety stop looking down because the wall view is spectacular!
Gymnothorax funebris, but more commonly know by the name of the Green Moray eel. Keep your fingers hidden when near that mouth!
Wednesday, May 23, 2018 AM Boat Trip
Captain: Domingo
Divemaster / Instructor: Ray
Weather: Mostly sunny and warm
Water Temperature: 80 degrees
Dive One
Site: Barracuda Wall
Max Depth: 100 feet
Dive Time: 50 minutes
Key Animals: Southern Stingray, Red Snapper
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: Annie requested advanced dives, so here we go… Barracuda Reef is one of the northern reefs of the island known by its strong current and big animals. As we descended a grouper shows up right on schedule. Sam told me it could be a 40 pound-er; hard to measure since the water magnifies, but I say it was a big one! Later we found a southern sting ray gliding along the wall. Soon we saw a big school of red snapper of at least 1500 fish all together. Well at least that is what Jill and I counted!
Dive Two
Site: San Juan
Max Depth: 60 feet
Dive Time: 50 minutes
Key Animals: Lionfish, Green Moray, Lobster
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: We found today a really strong current in both dives. All the divers were happy to ride along. Despite the speed Annie found under the coral a green moray and also Jill found the lionfish. The lionfish was quite big! We’ll have to return with spears and get that one. Sam was at the back of the group as he was always happy to see what we pointed at. The coral and algae have different color from the southern reefs, which makes It is very unique to dive in these spots. At the end we all were laughing and happy.
Okay, so we didn’t see THESE lobsters this week, but the video clip did seem appropriate for this weeks daily dive log.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Port Closed – El Norte 🙁 Sad face, no daily dive log for today.
Friday, May 25, 2018 AM Boat Trip
Captain: Domingo
Divemaster / Instructor: Ray
Weather: Mostly sunny and warm
Water Temperature: 80 degrees
Dive One
Site: Colombia Reef
Max Depth: 70 feet
Dive Time: 50 minutes
Key Animals: Southern Stingray, Yellowspot Stingray, Green Turtle
Visibility: 80 – 100 feet, a bit hazy from freshwater rain
Notes: Today we head all the way to the south, Colombia reef for the first dive. Annie asked me where the Spanish anchor was; this is the spot. We picked up Jay and Kim along our path. Jill was the first one in the water and she experienced this “cold’ water from the rain 78f, and also the visibility was not as clear but once we passed the fresh water section at around 10ft it all cleared up. As always swim-throughs and huge coral heads are the seascape we find. It always amazed me! Then it is picture time with the turtle and at the end of the dive in the sandy area we have to cross to make it to the shallows. We found the rays in the sand, a couple of the southerns, quite big I have to say, and a little one with yellow spots. Nice way to do a safety stop.
Dive Two
Site: Dalilah
Max Depth: 60 feet
Dive Time: 50 minutes
Key Animals: Nurse Shark, Grouper, Lobsters
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: On the way back from Colombia reef we decided to stop half way and dive in Dalilah reef. It was the last dive of the trip for Annie and Jill and they wanted to see a shark. First Kim found a grouper under the coral. We all enjoy the view since it was a really big specimen. Later, Annie found two spots with like 10 lobster in different sizes. When we were ready to ascend we finally saw the shark, woohoo! We all agreed that he was after some meals cause he was circulating the same sponge over and over again. Good dive to finish the trip!
Ray lets us know it is peaceful to swim with Nurse sharks.
Saturday, May 26, 2018 AM Boat Trip
Captain: Domingo
Divemaster / Instructor: Ray
Weather: Cloudy
Water Temperature: 78 degrees
Dive One
Site: Villa Blanca
Max Depth: 70 feet
Dive Time: 50 minutes
Key Animals: Rainbow Parrotfish, Grunts
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: Shawn and I are excited to begin with the Deep Diver Specialty. It is a course that requires good buoyancy skills and breathing control and three dives into the deep. After discussing this dive objectives we are ready to descend. Villa Blanca Wall is fantastic at depth! Those sponges are big and colorful and there is a little cave where many grunts gather to hide from the current. This time the drift was gentle and with great visibility. Once at the flat top of the reef a couple of parrot fish were eating from the coral. We can hear how they scratch with their teeth, just awesome! it is required to do a safety stop in this dive so we did and surface, Shawn was happy with his performance, so was I.
Dive Two
Site: Abrigo Reef
Max Depth: 60 feet
Dive Time: 50 minutes
Key Animals: Caribbean Reef Squid, Toadfish, Trumpet fish
Visibility: 100+ feet
Notes: I love this dive site! It is always different and surprising, Shawn said he counted 25 squids together, wow! They put on such a show with the color changes, and the schooling / swimming is spectacular! Then we saw the toad fish, that one I know where to find. The sea fans are the home of the trumpet fish yellow and brown. When we surfaced Shawn was really happy cause he caught many fish on video.
A beautiful, adult terminal phase Scarus guacamaia, the Rainbow Parrotfish. They get big – up to 5 feet in length!
If you read this far in our Daily Dive Log, I really do appreciate it! It was fun bringing this to you and knowing the joy you’ll get from the photos and picturing yourself with Ray and I drifting across the reefs of Cozumel. Do me a favor and leave us a comment to tell us if you like the new format for the Daily Dive Log.
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