A little blog about Palancar

[Sloeber]

At the risk of stirring up debate in this forum, I figured I'd share a recent blog here I wrote about Palancar reef. If you disagree with any of the information I'm always up to learn more myself, and update the blog if needed, but know that the vast majority of the info contained herein was given to my by my head Divemaster, Raymundo Calderon Ramirez. Many of you know him from his 20+ years working Cozumel at locations like Scuba Club, Dressels, Dive Palancar, ScubaMau, and most recently ScubaTony. Ray and I wrote this blog for our divers to learn a bit more about Palancar. Seeing as some of you are enjoying my other blog about Cozumel Beaches, I figured you may have some interest on this one as well.

Note that I have many more blogs about Cozumel diving, and Cozumel in general in the works. I'll try to remember to bring them here as they get published, but you can always register to receive the blogs by email when posted, too.

Palancar Reef - Epic Dives of Cozumel | Salty Endeavors

 

[El Graduado]

I too, have heard the oft-cited story that Palancar Reef’s name was derived from a Spanish verb “to pole” (a pole used as a lever is a “palanca” in Spanish). However, I don’t buy it. The word palanca in Spanish can’t be turned into a verb by adding an “ar” verb ending. To pole is “hacer palanca” in Spanish. It seems that in the attempt to explain the etymology of the word, Cozumeleños (and others) grabbed at a similar-sounding word and tried to make it fit when the original meaning was lost to the common memory. The added embellishment to the story that fishermen needed (or wanted!) to pole instead of using their sails or oars (prior to outboards) does not really “hold water.” Nor does using a slender palm tree (with a heavy and rough trunk) as a pole, instead of a smooth hardwood sapling (the most common boat palanca) ring true to me. Palancas, like anchors and bailers, are pieces of a small boat's standard equipment and replacements are not needed very often. If a new palanca was required, most likely a proper hardwood sapling would be cut, smoothed, and dried prior to the next trip on the water.

My vote is that Palancar Point, Palancar Beach, and Palancar Reef were named after a nearby rancho that was named after its owner, in this case Palancar, a very good Spanish surname that has been used as a toponym in several locations in the world. Most of the reefs off of Cozumel’s west coast were named (prior to recreational diving) after sites located on the shore adjacent to them. Punta Francesa, Punta Tormentos, Punta Tunich, Paso Cedral, and Colombia are just a few examples. There are a few outliers to this “rule.” Cardona reef was named after Rene Cardona who filmed there in the 1950s, and Barracuda is self-explanatory. The Bricks was named for the load of bricks from a shipwreck at that location.

The earliest mention of Palancar on Cozumel I can find is the “Punta Palancar” described in a 1901 Mexican government report. Punta Palancar also shows up on maps of that year. There were a lot of other ranchos down south near there that have been lost to most people's memories: San Clemente, San Remigio, San Jose, Belice, San Nicolas, Calayaxche, Santa Teresa, and others.

P.S. Are there no more bricks from the Brick Wreck left at “the Bricks”?

 

[Sloeber]

Thanks for your reply.

Would it be odd for a Spanish surname to take root on a Mexican / Mayan island? Did Spaniards actually settle in Cozumel in the 19th century?

There are bricks, though they are quite scattered about. I was just there two days ago and there is yet another new name spelled out.

 

[El Graduado]

Spaniards had a presence on the island from the 1550s, when two Catholic churches were built on Cozumel and priests were stationed on the island. Spanish place names are now the rule rather than the exception on Cozumel. Nearly all of the original Mayan names are lost to the common memory. Almost all the place names on Cozumel today were bestowed by Spaniards and later, Mexicans. San Miguel was named after Miguel Molas’ Rancho San Miguel, which he built in the 1820s on the Maya site of Xamancab. Miguel (a Spaniard from Catalonia) name Punta Molas after himself in 1817 when he published a description of the Quintana Roo coast. Cedral is the Spanish name that supplanted the Mayan name Oycib. Punta Celarain (misspelled; it should be Celarayn) was named after Pablo Celarayn, the naval hero of Campehe. Colombia was named after Dario Galera’s palo de tinto rancho of the 1830s. Gervasio Novelo named San Gervasio after his “Nombre Santo” in 1850. Playa Bush, where Rastas is located, was named after Pablo Bush. There are a few Mayan place names that either survived or were renamed later using the Mayan language, but not many: Tunich, Xanan, Ixpalbarco, are some I can think of.

 

[Sloeber]

Excellent information. Thanks!

 

[flyboy08]

History.....love it. Thanks to you both!

 

[mstevens]

There were a lot of other ranchos down south near there that have been lost to most people's memories: San Clemente, San Remigio, San Jose, Belice, San Nicolas, Calayaxche, Santa Teresa, and others.

Now I finally grok why there's a dive site called San Clemente.

 

[El Graduado]

In 1900, Rancho San Clemente was owned by José Cipriano Martín, who had landed in Cozumel in 1848 on the run from the War of the Castes. José Cipriano owned a boat named “Demócrata” and was aboard it with his wife and many others when the hurricane of October 15, 1916 stuck. He and 6 others aboard drowned when the storm sank the ship. By 1920, the rancho belonged to Ladislaw Novelo, the same fellow who inherited San Gervasio at the time.

Also in 1920, Mauro Angulo owned Rancho Paraiso, which gave its name to Paradise Reef.

 

[dberry]

+1 to @El Graduado for giving me a new word: "toponym", the meaning of which is entirely self-explanatory!

 

[RTC'83]

Thanks to all and the OP, enjoyed the history and stories.