Insight: Yucatán’s Natural Wonderland

The Yucatán Peninsula and its Caribbean coast harbor magnificent natural treasures – hundreds of species of birds, animals and colorful marine life, forming a diver’s paradise.

Visitors to the Yucatán Peninsula often spend their time clambering over its awe-inspiring Maya ruins, sunning themselves on its gorgeous beaches, or exploring old colonial towns, but many birders, divers, and snorkelers flock here above all for its uniquely rich and diverse natural environment. The immense limestone slab that makes up the Yucatán is flanked for long kilometers by vast, virtually uninhabited fresh- and saltwater coastal lagoons, which as well as being home to a great many resident birds, provide winter quarters for millions of migrants from across North America. The Yucatán’s cenote water holes, beautiful and mysterious, and the huge underwater rivers beneath them, filter minerals from the rock as they flow out to sea, providing rich nutrients for the Great Maya Reef, along the Caribbean coast. This is part of the second-longest coral reef system in the world, stretching along the east coast of Yucatán and south past Belize to Honduras. Although narrower than the Australian Great Barrier Reef, this system reaches depths of over 40 meters (130ft) around Cozumel, and at times the remarkable transparency of the water provides visibility up to 27 meters (90ft).

The Caribbean is one of the richest regions on earth in coral formations. Reefs, in turn, harbor an incredible variety and density of marine life. Over 50 species of coral, 400 of fish, and 30 gorgonians have been identified in the Yucatán reefs, along with hundreds of mollusks, crustaceans, sponges, and algae.

The Great Maya reef is home to thousands of plant and animal species, from brilliantly colored exotic fish to rare sea turtles.

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Diving Destinations

There are many well-equipped locations from which to explore the Yucatán’s underwater garden and coral mountains. Cozumel generally has the biggest variety of reefs, from shallow and ideal for beginners to giant wall dives, dropping sheer into the depths. Isla Mujeres, though sometimes crowded, also offers a good range of dives. On the mainland, friendly Puerto Morelos and busier Playa del Carmen are both excellent dive centers, while Akumal and Tulum, as well as having good open-water operators, are now major locations for cave diving in nearby cenotes. The small dive operations on the Costa Maya, near Mahahual and Xcalak, offer a complete escape from any crowds (for slightly higher prices), and the chance to explore the vast, pristine Banco Chinchorro reef.

In general, the farther south, the better condition the reef will be in. Recent hurricanes, notably Wilma in 2005, have done considerable damage to the coral, especially on Cozumel’s inshore reefs. More long-term damage is being done by overdevelopment, particularly the constant building of resort hotels down the Riviera Maya. These often obstruct the natural flow of nutrients out to sea from the mangroves and underground rivers, causing rapid coral deterioration. Only restrictions on building will halt this process.