Scuba diving

The Mayan Riviera - Top Scuba Diving Destination

There are tons of good reasons to dive in the Caribbean Sea, especially the Mayan Riviera. This diverse dive-site offers anything from reef diving to deep and cavern dives. Due to the Mesoamerican Reef, the largest in the Northern Hemisphere and after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia the longest of the planet, there is a plenty of marine life to discover. Vibrant fish, colorful corals and other interesting species such as the graceful sea turtle, tarpons, eels and large schools of Caribbean fish live here. No wonder the warm clear waters makes this a perfect dive destination year round. Read on.

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The Abyss Dive Center and Training Facility is a Canadian owned dive center in the Riviera Maya that has guided and trained divers of various levels for the past 15 years. The guys know all the best dive sites around Playa Del Carmen and Tulum, one of the best known areas for diving. Fortunate enough, they never have to go far to reach all the good dive sites; just outside the dive center is the second largest barrier reef in the world, going from the Yucatan all the way to Costa Rica.

The boats can hold a maximum of six divers so you are guaranteed small dive groups while diving with the Abyss.

The Caribbean ocean provides many great diving for divers of all levels. Good visibility and comfortable temperatures (averaging about 26C/78F) make it perfect for inexperienced divers to get comfortable quick or advanced divers to probe the depths. Most sites have a steady, northerly current that carries you gently past the reef, so it’s easy to relax and enjoy as the scenery moves by. And those looking to enhance their dive vacation can check also the cenotes, limestone caverns only found in this area of Mexico.

Dives Worth to Check:

There are plenty of dive sites around Playa Del Carmen and Tulum and here are few of them:

Tortuga Reef

This is one of the most popular dive sites of the area due to the large amount of sea turtles, which live here. The reef is covered by corals and sponges and is surrounded by lots of fish and varied life. The depth ranges between 14-80ft.

Mama Vina

This steel hulled ferry style boat was intentionally sunk in 1995 for divers. Since then the coral growth has proceeded rapidly, it is now covered in colorful growth and provides shelter to larger groups of fish, schooling barracuda and jacks.

Barracuda

An excellent dive with plenty of twists and turns. There are many small holes to explore along the reef to spot some Barracuda patrolling the reef. Expect also to see eels, schooling grunts, snappers, lots of varied sponges and corals here.

Moreover, you can also encounter bull sharks, whalesharks and other interesting creatures while diving the Mayan Riviera. So when planning your next dive vacation, visit the Abyss Dive Center, the dive boat picks you up wherever your group surfaces. The center is open all year round, you can book your dives online and there is an equipment available to rent as well as buy.