PegNDerek's Snorkeling
Where intelligent life returns to the Sea
Catamaran Sail,
Beach Party and Snorkel, Cozumel. Mexico
Ship: Norwegian Dawn (NCL)
Sailing Date: December 22nd, 2005
Date of Snorkel: December 29th, 2005
Equipment Availability: We have our own which we take with us, but equipment (fins, snorkels, masks and vests) are available from the locker on board the ship prior to the excursion. All equipment appeared to be clean and well maintained.
Water Access: From the front of the Catamaran
Following the devastation by Hurricanes Rita and Wilma to Cozumel, Mexico in the summer of 2005, we were very leery of snorkeling off of this shore. But, we decided to chance it anyway, especially since Peg’s Aunt Martha Belle wanted to join the excursion if only to swim. Past experience has taught us that Cozumel is usually a poor snorkeling location, primarily since the underwater parks are much too deep for satisfactory fish identification and photography. This trip proved our point all the more.
Our Fury Catamaran crew picked us up directly from the ship (all passengers had to use tenders in Cozumel on this cruise owing to the destruction of the piers by the afore-mentioned hurricanes; this day was the first one for which any ships were allowed to call at port in Cozumel since the hurricanes) and sailed us down the coast to the snorkeling park. The crew was enthusiastic and extremely grateful that the ships had returned with generous American passengers like us to strengthen the sagging economy of this devastated town. Signs of hurricane damage on shore were clearly evident from blown out windows and buildings that were left as little more than standing shells. Even the enormous Carnival Ship pier looked like a giant had stepped on it, smashing this huge reinforced concrete mass into twisted and unusable chunks.
The snorkeling site was in the middle of the large reef (protected by the Mexican Government as a National Park) extending off Cozumel’s coast. It was a sorry site—deep as always, but now with very few corals and only a fraction of its formerly teeming fish population remaining. Large pieces of recently sunken concrete were evident, purposely put into the water to help the coral and fish population revive. It will take several years for this to happen. The best photographs we got were by following the catamaran crew’s photographer who had a mesh bag of dog food strapped to his chest, attracting any and all fish (sadly only Damselfish, including the ubiquitous Sergeant Majors, Snappers and Margates remain) so that he could photograph you from below while you were snorkeling. We bought any and all photographs of us that he had for sale.
Following our swim, we were taken on to a beach just a few miles down the coast for the beach party. Six catamarans from various ships (only ours from the Dawn) were lined up side by side, and we were firmly instructed to remember the catamaran’s number for departure (ours was number 6). The beach had been restored by local engineers, although it was surrounded with toppled palm trees and littered with loose fronds and leaves from blown out plants and previous structures built of local vegetation. Food and drink where available in abundance, and our hosts enthusiastically encouraged volleyball, rafting, more snorkeling or anything we wanted to do. The trip back to the ship was also raucous with flowing drinks (free this time and quite literally poured into your mouth—if you wanted it—during a conga line that stomped along in front of the bar) and loud music. Even Aunt Martha Belle was quite amused by all the activity. Good fun!
Snorkeling Grade: C-/D (Excursion Grade: B)