Best sites to dive Post Hurricane

[Christi]

I have gone there (Tortuga) with Blue Angel as well, but according to Christi, that has all stopped now due to complaints by the dive ops over on the mainland. She says that the new rule against Coz ops going over there is being enforced by the harbor master over there and the fines are steep.

I wonder, though, if the rule is reciprocal. Christi?

As I mentioned before...mainland ops don't come over here. The difference is that we are a protected marine park and permits are required. The mainland is not a marine park...so yes, if they were to come over without permits, fines would be huge for them.

There are two shops on the mainland that are permitted to dive Cozumel. Tank-Ha and (well, I can't even remember the other one). However, they can't come over everyday, and I believe are restricted to certain sites.

It is true that some Cozumel dive shops are not worried about going over there...in otherwords, the warning didn't last long. I've heard there's really no way they can enforce the fines or say that we can't go over there since it's not a mrine park...it's ocean which is not owned by anyone. As long as the boat captain has the proper license to cross the channel, there's nothing they can do supposedly. Both of my boat captain's have that license...and I'm following up on a few more things before I make the decision to start going over there again.

 

[ggunn]

As I mentioned before...mainland ops don't come over here. The difference is that we are a protected marine park and permits are required. The mainland is not a marine park...so yes, if they were to come over without permits, fines would be huge for them.

There are two shops on the mainland that are permitted to dive Cozumel. Tank-Ha and (well, I can't even remember the other one). However, they can't come over everyday, and I believe are restricted to certain sites.

It is true that some Cozumel dive shops are not worried about going over there...in otherwords, the warning didn't last long. I've heard there's really no way they can enforce the fines or say that we can't go over there since it's not a mrine park...it's ocean which is not owned by anyone. As long as the boat captain has the proper license to cross the channel, there's nothing they can do supposedly. Both of my boat captain's have that license...and I'm following up on a few more things before I make the decision to start going over there again.

Thanks for the update, Christi. I've only been over there once, and we missed the tarpon, so I'd like to do it again some time.

 

[jpomerantz]

I hope so too. Didn't get any good pix of them last time!

Thanks for the update, Christi. I've only been over there once, and we missed the tarpon, so I'd like to do it again some time.

 

[sharky60]

Tarpon! sounds like fly fishing is in order!

 

[bcaderunr]

I dove it Monday, Sept. 11th with a non-Christi dive op. First dive was also on the PDC side in same general area. Like an aquarium over there and the tarpon were at the end, as always. No problemo!

 

[judydivescoz]

We dove Columbia Shallows on Thursday. It was the most beautiful shallow dive we have dove post Wilma. The colors on the reef were bright...not sand covered. Lots to see, we encountered turtles sharks and rays. Our bottom time exceeded 90 minutes! We dive with Laura at Albatros Charters.

 

[CozzieDive Laura]

Judy, not to tell tales outta school here, but remember how i told you i read a thread on scubaboard about columbia shallows and wanted to dive it? THIS was the thread, so thank the other posters, I just plagerized their opinions!!

 

[judydivescoz]

And we were th thankfull recipients of their advice...thank you scubaboard!!

 

[Christi]

We dove Columbia Shallows on Thursday. It was the most beautiful shallow dive we have dove post Wilma. The colors on the reef were bright...not sand covered. Lots to see, we encountered turtles sharks and rays. Our bottom time exceeded 90 minutes! We dive with Laura at Albatros Charters.

Columbia Shallows is one of my all time favorites...especially when I'm in photography mode