Possible southern reef closure

[AdivingBel]

You have not paid attention. This article references bleaching but is actually talking about SCTLD. Confusion in the media, and elsewhere, is quite common. Miscommunication, lost attempt at education.

It was only posted the first time to show that the news of the closure was officially released and was being talked about outside of SB and FB. It was never about the simplistic info in the article. Feel free to climb down from the horse. It's awfully high.

 

[scubadada]

I just told you I didn't pay attention. Feels better to say it though I guess.

Perhaps just think about it before you post. You could fix that.

 

[scubadada]

It was only posted the first time to show that the news of the closure was officially released and was being talked about outside of SB and FB. It was never about the simplistic info in the article. Feel free to climb down from the horse. It's awfully high.

Simplistic information? Facts matter, to some of us. This is a topic of tremendous importance.

 

[Charred]

Does anyone know how warm the waters off Cozumel got this past summer? What temperature are they now?

Are the reefs down South really in that bad shape? Aside from the brain corals obviously under attack from something, reefs look just like they did last several years in April this year. In fact visibility was terrible due to all barrel sponges spawning.

 

[ChrisM]

This list was posted by someone on my dive op's page, so cannot vouch for it. Sites to remain open

 

[JFS]

Does anyone know how warm the waters off Cozumel got this past summer? What temperature are they now?

Are the reefs down South really in that bad shape? Aside from the brain corals obviously under attack from something, reefs look just like they did last several years in April this year. In fact visibility was terrible due to all barrel sponges spawning.

Water temps have been 85-86 degrees. The reefs that are being closed are healthier than the reefs that will remain open. The closure affects the entire area from palancar gardens south including Columbia, punta sur, chunchakaab, Maracaibo, cielo. The list below is the reefs that will remain opened. Comes into effect Oct 7.

.

 

[flyboy08]

I can Dive those in a week or more!

 

[Christi]

Here is the statement we posted on my Facebook page:
Blue XT~Sea Divers

In the spirit of total transparency, we want to make our divers aware of the current situation in Cozumel which will affect our clients in the upcoming months. The Marine Park has announced that it is temporarily closing a section of the reef from Palancar Gardens all the way around the south tip of the Island. This includes the entire Palancar system, Colombia, and Punta Sur. You can see the planned closures in red in the graphic.

The closure is planned to go into effect October 7 and expected to last until January 2020, when they will re-evaluate the health of the reef. The water sport organization, ANOAAT, is working with the marine park in an attempt to stagger the closures, but it remains to be seen if they will consider that tactic or not. So for now, we must plan for this restriction and wanted to inform our divers of this development. We will keep everyone posted with any new information that comes from the Marine Park.

We apologize for the inconvenience and sincerely hope that this will not cause any of our divers to cancel their dive trip to Cozumel. The other reefs will remain open. And who knows? Maybe our DMs will discover some new reefs north of the park that would be suitable for our clients.

Please feel free to contact us at info@bluextseadivers.com if you have any concerns.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Let's be honest about something. Them doing this without advanced notice was absolutely so the tourist trade wasnt affected as severely. I suspect it will be the exact opposite though. We already have a trip booked for January and it will be the last for awhile. Too many changes are occurring to put up with as far as I'm concerned. Petty theft, violence against tourists, unscrupulous behaviour by local businesses and, now, closing some of the most sought after dive sites with zero notice so people could plan their trips accordingly.

Has Coz really gotten that bad?
It has been over 10 yrs for us and are now considering a visit but your post and others give us pause

 

[ChrisM]

I only go once a year - ish and walk everywhere even at night (ie la perlita to the waterfront) and haven’t had those experiences. I’ve read about some and can’t deny others have