Dive pictures from the Mayan Riviera

[Treebeard]

Great! Looking forward to seeing some diving photos and videos. Especially wondering about the trips to Coz from PDC. Thinking it could be a long bumpy ride!
My wife has packed our dive gear but still 23 days until departure.

[Reef Pilot]

Just got back from there. Stayed at the Bahia Principe Tulum resort. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed. Was expecting to find some nice snorkeling close by, but no joy with that. In fact, the reefs all around were basically a coral graveyard. You can see that there was once lots of SPS, but only saw a few softies and LPS. The SPS were mostly all dead. I suspect the resort and beach development is what killed them, with probably phosphates and chemicals leaching out into the ocean.

Plus you had to go out quite a ways, and the winds were up all the time, making the trek to the reefs and snorkeling in the waves downright dangerous at times. Good thing I had good flippers, and other than getting quite tired, I managed not to scrape myself on the reefs. A friend, who was with me had smaller flippers, and he had a really hard time. We only did it a couple times and gave up after that.

We also made a trip to Akumal, but it was no better there. Winds were high as well, and a guy on a kayak (assume a lifeguard) wouldn't let us go past the outer buoys. So we didn't see much there either. Lots of turtles though, and also saw a big ray.

I guess you need to go on a diving excursion to see the really good stuff there. We normally go to Hawaii (Maui) and I guess I got spoiled there with great snorkeling all over the place, including right beside our hotel.

[hillegom]

I went out to the reef at Akumel. About 2 yrs ago and there wasn't a lifeguard then luckily. A bit of a swim and we had to wait while the boats passed, but definately lots to see. Saw a few eels sticking out of the sand and a basking shark. A lot of coral and fish.

[Reef Pilot]

What kind of corals? Any nice looking SPS?

[hillegom]

Because I do not have any sps, they were all nice looking lol

[Reef Pilot]

Well, at Bahia they obviously used to have a lot of SPS, as you could still see the dead skeletons. We had hoped to get out to the reefs at Akumal, but the winds and rough seas just didn't allow. And the water was also very turbid, which I guess was understandable with the rough water.

I guess our timing was just off. What times of the year do the winds die down? It was blowing the whole time we were there.

In Maui, the trade winds would pick up in the afternoons, but nothing like this. And there are more protected coves where you don't have to battle the surf. I paddle boarded there, too, even in the afternoons sometimes. But didn't see anyone on a paddle board the whole time we were in Mexico. Just a few kite boarders (they like the wind).

[Jakegr]

I think there are areas in the Mayan Riviera that have pretty good diving, but overall I completely agree Maui is a lot better. There are so many amazing dives and snorkel spots there.