Snorkeling in Cozumel

My husband and I sailed on the Norwegian sun for our 2nd anniversary. One of the ports was Cozumel. We chose to book a private tour with Eagle Ray Divers (more about them in other journal entry). My husband and I are fairly new to snorkeling but the waters in Cozumel were amazing. First of all, the water is so clear that you can see the ocean floor even when the water is 30 to 40 feet in depth (in some places). The weather was great the day that we went. Our boat had 2 couples and their teenage daughters. The teenagers got bored very quickly and abandoned the snorkeling to sun on deck. Therefore, we had a very small group and our guide was able to point out things to us better. We saw a variety of sea creatures, including 2 different eels, angel fish, parrot fish, starfish, many types of coral, and a variety of other creatures that I do not know the name of. The highlight of our trip was seeing an octopus. We also snorkeled near an area where the previous hurricane had collapsed the pier and got some wonderful photos of the fish there. We spent several hours out on the boat (approximately an hour, sometimes more, at each reef) and I still wasn't ready to leave. It was an amazing experience.

When we decided to go on a cruise, I knew we didn't want to book excursions through the ship. I did lots of research and booked what I thought would give us a local view of the ports. I could not have been happier with my results. In Cozumel, we knew we wanted to snorkel, and I found Eagle Ray Divers through their website. I corresponded with Chellie and we booked a three-reef tour for $65 per person (a much better buy than the offerings on the ship). Once we reserved our places, we were required to send a deposit of $30. When she received our deposit, she emailed us a receipt. She informed us that we could possibly visit the following reefs: Colombia, Palancar, Santa Rosa Shallows, Cardona, Chankanaab Shallows, Dzul-Ha, Paradise and Villa Blanca. When we arrived in Cozumel, we had a slight problem finding the marina. I was under the impression that we could walk to it. I was mistaken. My husband finally found us a cab and they took us straight there for about $5. When we arrived at the marina, we were directed to the Miguelita (Eagle Ray boat). The boat was a little rundown compared to the photos on the website. Antonio and Chellie were not there to meet us as they were at the hospital having their daughter. However, we were left in the very capable hands of their crew. Our guide met us at the boat, sized us for snorkel equipment, and offered us sodas, water or beer. As we were waiting on the other passengers to arrive, our guide took us on a short tour of the marina and a nearby lagoon. Once everyone was onboard, we left for our first reef. We spent about an hour at each reef with our guide pointing out certain fish and sea life. He was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. The crew provided us with snacks including cookies, bananas, and watermelon, as well as beverages. The other passengers only purchased a 2-reef trip so we stopped to let them off at the dock. Our guide then took us to get lunch (included in the price of our tour). We ate at a restaurant overlooking the water. Our guide called in our order in advance and we did not have to wait. The chips and salsa were absolutely wonderful, as were my quesadillas. We then got back on the boat to do our other reef. With just our guide, my husband, and I, the last reef was definitely the best. Our guide pointed out everything there was to see, telling us interesting facts and stories about the ocean, the creatures, and Cozumel. We then returned to the marina, where our guide had a cab waiting to take us back to the main area of Cozumel. We thought our guide went above and beyond the $65 fee that we paid. We were very happy that we had chosen them.