Playa del Carmen Snorkeling

Oh hi! After our fantastic snorkeling experience in Cozumel, we booked another snorkling trip for our return to Playa del Carmen. The prospect of another awesome underwater experience was worth going back to Playa del Carmen for two nights! (Poor us, not!)

So we booked with diving firm 'Tank-Ha' for another three hour session, this time in two sites: a shallow reef on the south side of the island and a drop away reef. We had a morning slot and were bleary eyed and up early, if a little hungover. When we saw the sea, we were very excited, very flat and calm and bright, bright sunshine, a really perfect day after the previous windy weather on the coats that was churning up the water.

We went out on a small 'lancha' as before, we had a great guide, very relaxed and smiley. The guide who's day off it was even came along with his two young water baby sons, who provided us with a lot of amusement. Our guide explained that the first site was a very shallow reef near the shore, (of deserted beaches) and not to go too close, because you may end up on the reef! He was not wrong! It was easy to locate and very shallow indeed. It was brilliant to be able to experience this environment so intimately.

Fan coral swayed gently in the sea.




A shoal of squid hung in formation in the water in a very effortless manner.


In places, it seemed as though it was an underwater forest.






A shoal of fish, hanging firmly together, seemed not to mind us at all.






I loved the multilayering of textures, dappled light and colourful fish.




There are two very spiky black sea urchins in two crevices of this part of the reef.


In the shallow reef area we felt bursts of cold water. Freshwater was bubbling through the sea bed. When this occurs it creates a layer of fresh and salt water, that don't really mix together, but make water appear distorted in a wierd optical illusion. This unpredictable combination and the dappled light in the shallow water made it a real challenge to capture a clear shot. Fun though!


We saw this fish last time, this one is enormous, you can't see it here, but it has beautiful yellow eyelids. This one was a very old one, according to Wiji.




Here we are having a breather and chilling by the boat, after our shallow reef snorkle. We took lots of great pictures, and it was really fun passing the camera back and forth between us.


We got back on the boat and our super cheerful guide took us further out to sea where the reef ends and drops off down and away. It was amazing to follow this line and see how the ocean bed fades into deep, deep blue. I felt like a tiny spec in the ocean and so free.

Our guide told us that we may see some stingrays or turtles...so lots of butterflies of excitment and intensely scanning the sea bed, ploughing about with the flippers in the open sea. OMG I loved it!

Soon enough our guide spotted a turtle! Wiji dived down with the camera to get a much closer shot- that was wicked. The turtle seemed enormous and was surrounded by fish minding his business and getting involved with the turtle feeding and churning up the sea bed by chomping at it.


Here's the turtle looking at Wiji, and gliding along at a leisurely pace. We were so pleased to see a turtle, we went to the surface and checked the pictures together and then looked down again could not see the turtle at all, it had swam off. It looked so graceful.


Here is a shot I took of the edge of the reef as it drops away. We saw these divers following it. It was really amazing to swim above them and feel the depth. I love the solid wall of blue when it becomes so deep. I didn't like it so much in Australia, as I felt as though I was waiting for something big to eat me! LMAO.


Here is a video that Wiji put together. He is swimming next to the drop off reef.


Wiji taking one of me snorkling on the surface.


Aaaah. Time to chill in the sea. Look how calm it is! It was brilliant and so different from Cozumel, great to have a range of snorkling experiences.