Onwards and Upwards, by Nicholas Kellett

Programmer. Traveler. Blogger. Space Cadet.

Menu
  • Home
  • Space Exploration
  • Travel
  • Scuba Diving
  • Nature
  • Uncategorized
  • Photostream
  • About Me
  • Get In Touch

Scuba Diving off Isla Mujeres

2016-04-17 by Nicholas Kellett

Isla Mujeres is a surprisingly good scuba diving location which is one easy ferry-ride from Cancún Mexico.

Isla Mujeres Diving Experiences

Although it doesn’t offer some of the more sensational wall or deep diving experiences of places like Cozumel, Isla Mujeres offers some fun and interesting options for scuba divers of all levels. The waters are very shallow, which means much more light for observing the sea life, and makes for better underwater photography. The coral and undersea life was a bit stressed out over the last few years but seems to be bouncing back. Currents are relatively mild apart from at the island’s southern tip.

Manchones reef, Isla Mujeres

Manchones reef, Isla Mujeres

The Underwater Museum attraction is great fun. Created in 2009, the MUSA (Museo Subacuático de Arte) collection of underwater sculptures created by Jason deCaires offer an easy shallow dive with many poignant and quirky statues looming at you as they are gradually transformed, or claimed, by the underwater world.

Musa Museo Subacuatico de Arte, Isla Mujeres

MUSA (Museo Subacuatico de Arte), Isla Mujeres

Of course there are always options for more advanced excursions. We did a two-tank night dive on Manchones last night with Scuba Garrido and saw an enormous number of sea turtles up close and personal – at least fifteen of them quietly paddling around us in the shallow waters between Cancún and Isla Mujeres. That was very cool.

The video below was taken with a GoPro Hero 4 and some post-processing in GoPro Studio.

My wife also went on an amazing bull shark dive day-trip near Playa del Carmen organized by some Isla Mujeres dive masters – here are some photos she took of the sharks and remoras. She used a Lumix camera with some Photoshop post-processing.

 

Diver and bull sharks. c/ MC Queenton

 

Pregnant bull shark. c/ MC Queenton

Pregnant bull shark on day trip dive from Isla Mujeres. c/ MC Queenton

Remora photobombing, Bull Shark Dive. c/ MC Queenton.

Remora photobombing, bull shark dive from Isla Mujeres. c/ MC Queenton.

 

 

Remoras on Bull Shark Dive. c/ MC Queenton

Remoras. c/ MC Queenton

Diving Experience and Safety

Generally speaking the dive sites near the island require lower technical proficiency than in other locations. This can be a mixed blessing.

It often means trips are shared with lots of people who have little or no experience. While that’s a good way for people to learn this wonderful sport, it can also mean frustrating waits while gear is procured and fitted and introductory or refresher lessons are taught, and it could mean some dives are cut short when someone’s air runs out early. More scuba divers in the water means more pressure on the sea life. It also puts pressure on the scuba shops to staff up with more dive masters to handle larger groups. Some of the dive masters are just passing through the area and are therefore not very knowledgeable about the dive spots. More inexperienced divers and larger groups in the water also means a higher risk of diving accidents.

The best advice (as always) is to be very clear about what kind of diving you want to do, ask lots of questions about the dive master’s experience, the shop’s safety record and diving standards, and keep an eye out for signs of potential trouble or frustration before you go into the water.

So, if you’re new to the sport of scuba diving, looking for relaxing place dive sites, or are already planning on visiting Isla Mujeres, you should definitely consider exploring underwater as well.

Summary
Scuba Diving off Isla Mujeres
Article Name
Scuba Diving off Isla Mujeres
Description
Isla Mujeres in Mexico offers fun and interesting options for scuba divers of all levels.
Author
Nicholas Kellett
Publisher Name
Onwards and Upwards, by Nicholas Kellett
Publisher Logo
Onwards and Upwards, by Nicholas Kellett

Filed Under: Nature, Scuba Diving, Travel Tagged With: Mexico, Yucatan

Trackbacks

  1. Street Art: Murals of Isla Mujeres | Onwards and Upwards, by Nicholas Kellett says:
    2017-05-16 at 08:30

    […] spend a lot of time on Isla Mujeres, an island off the coast near Cancún […]

    Reply

Recent Posts

  • “Where Are They?” Are They Here?
  • Software Will Eat the Space Industry
  • Space Apps Ottawa 2020 Hackathon – October 2 to 4!
  • Adventures in Coffee Making
  • Space Apps Ottawa 2019: Mission Accomplished

Recent Comments

  • John on Street Art: Murals of Isla Mujeres
  • 10 Oddities Sent Into Space – Marvelworld on Exobiotanica: Flowers in Space
  • Canadian Space Society Annual Summit 2017 – Day 1 | Onwards and Upwards, by Nicholas Kellett on Canadian Space Society Annual Summit 2017 – Day 2
  • Canadian Space Society Annual Summit 2017 – Day 2 | Onwards and Upwards, by Nicholas Kellett on Canadian Space Society Annual Summit 2017 – Day 1
  • Canadian Space Society Annual Summit 2017 – Day 2 | Onwards and Upwards, by Nicholas Kellett on Canadian Space Society Annual Summit 2017

Archives

  • June 2021
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • December 2018
  • March 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • July 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013

Disclaimer

This is my personal blog and while I exercise due diligence I am likely to get names, comments, and some information wrong. Please contact me if you feel I have misquoted you or otherwise mistated some of the conversations, and I will be happy to set the record straight. The information in this weblog is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights. This blog is not to be taken internally.

Site Map

  • About Me
  • Get In Touch
  • Home
  • Nature
  • Photostream
  • Posts
  • Scuba Diving
  • Space Exploration
    • Space Resources
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized

Deploy Solutions

I have turned my love of space exploration into a business venture!


I am the Founder & CEO of Deploy Solutions, which builds data-driven software solutions for the space industry. Learn more.


Deploy Solutions logo

Onwards and Upwards logo

© 2023 Nicholas Kellett. All rights reserved.

Go to mobile version