| Ever since famous oceanographer and filmmaker | | | | depths of 130 feet or more along its walls. Most of |
| Jacques Cousteau revealed Cozumel's underwater | | | | Cozumel's diving sites are located within the Cozumel |
| beauty to the rest of the world in a 1961 documentary, | | | | Reefs National Marine Park, a protected underwater |
| Cozumel, Cancun and the Riviera Maya region have | | | | environment, where the Mexican government has |
| consistently ranked among the diving community's | | | | implemented a conservation program to keep the |
| favorite destinations. What the world saw through the | | | | reefs in a pristine state, funded by a daily $2 fee from |
| late Cousteau's camera lenses was a natural | | | | divers. To accommodate the diving and snorkeling |
| aquarium beyond compare, with swaying coral | | | | enthusiasts, many of the area's top hotels offer diving |
| gardens, waves of colorful tropical fish, steep walls | | | | facilities, equipment rental and their own docks. Many |
| that fall deep into the ocean floor, sunken galleons and | | | | hotels offer SCUBA lessons for beginners, and dive |
| tunnels that seem to go on forever. With a visibility of | | | | certification is available from most dive operators. |
| up to 200 feet, miles of coral reefs, and water so clear | | | | These operators offer certification through the |
| that scuba divers seem to fly instead of swim, | | | | Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), a |
| Cozumel and the Riviera Maya region attract | | | | leading certification organization. Many hotels have |
| thousands of divers per year. | | | | diving tours that will take divers out twice a day, with a |
| Cozumel is the region's most popular scuba diving | | | | lunch provided by the hotel in between dives. Most |
| area, due to the 20 miles of unspoiled, protected reefs | | | | dive trips start out at less than $50, and include the |
| just offshore. Divers in Cozumel use the technique of | | | | equipment rental. |
| drift diving, which allows divers to drift with the current | | | | The El Cid La Cieba is a hotel that caters to the diving |
| while exploring a site, the most famous of which is | | | | community, with a private dock and a dive shop on the |
| Palancar Reef - with its vast series of caverns and | | | | property. The Occidental Grand, and its sister hotel, the |
| canyons, its marine life and sea coral. The mammoth | | | | Occidental Allegro also have docks and a full dive |
| Santa Rosa Wall is also a favorite dive spot. The slow | | | | shop. There are dozens of boats and dive masters to |
| 2-3 knot current carries divers along on an underwater | | | | choose from, as well as over 50 dive shops on |
| adventure, while the dive boat follows along on the | | | | Cozumel alone. Many diving tours are also available |
| surface. | | | | from Cancun, located just 30 miles from Cozumel. |
| Depths along these fabulous underwater locations | | | | Cancun offers superb snorkeling, as well as diving |
| range from 50 to 120 feet and even deeper. Shallow | | | | opportunities, with its calm, clear water and a myriad of |
| water formations at 70 to 80 feet , which stretch | | | | sea life waiting to be discovered by the adventurous |
| along a half mile in this amazing underwater landscape, | | | | visitor. |
| allow divers to sometimes swim alongside large | | | | Cozumel and the entire Riviera Maya's spectacular |
| schools of grouper and yellow jack. More experienced | | | | reef formations and exceptionally clear waters have |
| divers will want to explore the spectacular | | | | contributed to make this paradise on the Mexican |
| coral-covered tunnels of Maracaibo Reef, circling the | | | | Caribbean one of the most popular underwater |
| southern tip of the island. Maracaibo descends to | | | | destinations in the world. |