Shore Diving Cozumel

[DandyDon]

You both may be right. I did some looking and the only info I could find from more official sites say they're eels, but all the pics I found show them having a small fin down their backs. The ones I've seen and photographed have no fins?

I'll try and post the pics tomorrow.

Wiki says sea snakes "...are found in warm coastal waters from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. All have paddle-like tails and many have laterally compressed bodies that give them an eel-like appearance. However, unlike fish, they do not have gills and must come to the surface regularly to breathe. "

 

[1KWIK_69]

Wiki says sea snakes "...are found in warm coastal waters from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. All have paddle-like tails and many have laterally compressed bodies that give them an eel-like appearance. However, unlike fish, they do not have gills and must come to the surface regularly to breathe. "

All these years I've been going off of other people's online pics saying they were sea snakes but when I looked for any more official sea life ID sites, it looks like they've been eels. The colors are right but I'm still wondering why I've seen no fins on these. I have pictures dating back to my 35mm camera days of these critters and I don't recall ever seeing a fin down any of their backs like they show in the pics online of the sharptailed eel. Still I'm sure you guys are right because the official type sites all seem to say there are no sea snakes in the carabean.

As for the spotted morays, they're easy to find down there. Before Wilma, you couldn't swing a dead cat on a shore dive without hitting one. I saw a few on shore dives this time, which is a lot more than I can say about my trips the past couple years. It's great to see the shore diving is making a come back. At the rate it's improving, I'm sure Cozumel shore diving will be great again in a few years.

 

[1KWIK_69]

Wiki says sea snakes "...are found in warm coastal waters from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. All have paddle-like tails and many have laterally compressed bodies that give them an eel-like appearance. However, unlike fish, they do not have gills and must come to the surface regularly to breathe. "

On a side note Don, Shirley and I went to check out the improvements at Blue Angel and the place is really looking good! She wants us to stay there next trip.

 

[Surely]

I know it's far from the Wyndam, but if you have a car, drive toward town and dive Villa Blanca. You can rent tanks from Dive Paradise on site (if they can find any full ones ).

We did a couple of night dives there and saw plenty of stuff (snake eel, morays, octos, scorpion fish etc., etc.)

Watch the current though -- it would be easy to get carried away if you're not paying attention.

Jon

My boyfriend and I just got back from a week in Coz. We did both a night dive and a day dive from Villablanca. While there isn't a lot of coral there were plenty of other things to see! Octopus, very large pufferfish, huge starfish, sea snake. It was my first trip to Coz and it was wonderful diving!

 

[Surely]

Yes, I do want to give Blue Angel a try!

 

[1KWIK_69]

My boyfriend and I just got back from a week in Coz. We did both a night dive and a day dive from Villablanca. While there isn't a lot of coral there were plenty of other things to see! Octopus, very large pufferfish, huge starfish, sea snake. It was my first trip to Coz and it was wonderful diving!

Hi Honey!

We've now established that those "sea snakes" we saw were most likely sharp tailed eels. :doh2:

 

[Surely]

Wiki says sea snakes "...are found in warm coastal waters from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. All have paddle-like tails and many have laterally compressed bodies that give them an eel-like appearance. However, unlike fish, they do not have gills and must come to the surface regularly to breathe. "

I take it we didn't see a sea snake? It sure looks like a snake...

 

[ggunn]

My boyfriend and I just got back from a week in Coz. We did both a night dive and a day dive from Villablanca. While there isn't a lot of coral there were plenty of other things to see! Octopus, very large pufferfish, huge starfish, sea snake...

There's an echo in here!

Sharptail eel, not sea snake.

EDIT: I didn't see the other correction; you guys are together, right? Are you on different computers in the same house? My wife and I send emails to each other from 20 feet away all the time! ;^)

 

[ggunn]

All these years I've been going off of other people's online pics saying they were sea snakes but when I looked for any more official sea life ID sites, it looks like they've been eels. The colors are right but I'm still wondering why I've seen no fins on these.

They can lay that fin down, and when they do, it's hard to see.

 

[Surely]

Hi Honey!

We've now established that those "sea snakes" we saw were most likely sharp tailed eels. :doh2:

Well, you know me. I am going to study our pics and figure out exactly what it was, lol!