Mahahual, Quintana Roo-Dream Time Divers

[clown trigger]

Scubadude on the days that "the reef was open" where all 5 dive times accommodated? that is a real bummer that the night dives where cancelled. My girl and I are taking OW part 2 (aow) so there had better be at least the one night dive

 

[Scubadude]

Q.T.
We never dove 5 dives on any day, not that I didn't want to, but there was always something stopping them. Mind you now, it was rainy season, the climate changed rapidly at least 3 times a day. That was in July though.

Try like heck to go to Chinchorro Banks! That is suppossed to be quite a treat from what I hear. The politics involving the Banks, unfortuneatly is typical Mexico. There are only 2 boats with " Licenses " to go to Chinchorro, but only 1 is really seaworthy. The trip is 15 miles out and you need a good boat, captain, crew, and oxygen. Dreamtime Divers don't go out to Chinchorro. They said that their big boat was in the shop and that they couldn't take us out.They did send us to another town that went out everyday, so they say. We were looking for Captain Mike but Captain Mike was out at sea everyday, so that was a bust. Just between you and me, I think there was no Cpt. Mike. His dive shop looked run down and vacant.

If they ask you if you want to go out in the evening or right after they come in to change tanks in the afternoon, say, "right now", because they will cancel later on and tell you that the weather or something or the other is going on and they can't go out. Of course take a good surface interval by the beach and have some ceviche, all the seafood is fresh and cheap!

Overall, Mahahual is very laid back. The locals are very nice. If it is a rustic atmosphere and relaxation you want, you are going to the right place. We would return despite the not so good diving days we had and when it isn't rainy season. Regardless, make the best of it. Remember, it's what you make of it. Leave all expectations at home and enjoy the reefs, there are some pretty nice ones to dive. By the way, how are you getting there? Just curious, we drove. 5 hours from Cancun. You can get a flight from Cancun to Chetumal which is only about 35 -40 minutes from Mahahual also.

Good viz,
George

 

[clown trigger]

This will be my 12th trip to the yucatan. We are fly into cancun and driving down, I want to show my girl some of the ruins she hasn't seen (Coba & Muyil). Plus I love driving in Mexico...keeps me on my toes.

I always make the best of any country I visit and the old school Mexico vibe is what I am after. If the "reef is close I have NO problem laying around and eating ceviche and enjoying a beer.

thanks for the info.

 

[nwflyboy]

Hmmm....you go to dive Chinchorro, but due to a variety of "issues", you never get to dive Chinchorro...? Me, I'd be more than a little disappointed.

I've been up and down the Yucatan sporadically for 20 years. I've been to Xcalak about 10 years ago, before the new road and cruise ship dock were put in. I've been watching the dive options there sort of come and go (seems lots have started up and gone bust), always looking for the right time when there's enough of a developed dive and tourism infrastructure there, but not so much to ruin things. It sounds like it might be at that point (enough but not too much). OTOH, I would be going with the express intention on diving Chinchorro. If the DM just didn't feel like it or came up with a string of BS excuses, I'd be pretty torqued. I've been to Mexico enough to know not to expect everything to run like the Swiss train system, and I'm fine with "manana", a smile and a cold cerveza - up to a point. For me, spending a week at a dive resort in Mahahual and never being able to get out to the reef would be over the line.

Maybe I shouldn't go?

 

[Kat]

nwflyboy,
There is only one dive op that is allowed by the Mexican Government to dive Chinchorro Bank. That dive op is XTC in Xcalak. http://www.xtcdivecenter.com/recdiving.htm
Any dive op in Majahual that says they will take you is BSing you, just to get your business. The dives to Chinchorro never happen.

 

[Gaviota]

Been to Chinchorro several times - all departing from Mahahual. Plan to go out to Chinchorro again the end of this month (October). Did some great diving out at Chinchorro. Spent some time on the atoll at the research center and fisherman village. Worth the trip - great wildlife on the atoll including American and Morlet crocs.

Trips from Mahahual are controlled by the Port Captain. Boats must be 'cleared' prior to departing, but, this has never been a problem. Now sometimes the Port Captain will not allow the trip due to weather conditions. This can be more of an issue in the winter months (wind).

If you can not get to Chinchorro - the Meso American reef is just a few hundred yards off shore. While it may be a bit disappointing not getting to Chinchorro, still some great diving.

 

[Kat]

I was in both Majahual & Xcalak in August '06 and was advised, at that time, that XTC was the only dive op that was allowed out. That many dive ops 'offered' it, but did not have permission to go out. I took this to be true, based on the fact that I had heard it from many different sorces in both towns. Obviously anyone with a big enough boat can dive there, but they are not diving legally. While I was in Majahuala a small dive op did go out to Chinchorro Bank. The boat broke down & they would not radio for help, because they did not want to get in trouble for being there illegally.

It is possible that, since August, the government has now allowed dive ops from Majahuala out. Hard to pass up all that tourist money. Too bad, as the cruise ship divers will kick the cr@p out of it.

The National Biodiversity Commission classifies it as a Priority Region A-70, the WWF considers it in the global 200 priority areas and TNC considers it one of the two priority areas of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. This zone was decreed as a natural protected area on July 19th, 1996. XTC Dive Center offers the only boat to Banco Chinchorro.

 

[Gaviota]

You will not find any cruise ship divers out on Chinchorro - too far for their limited time.

I don't think we were illegally out their from Mahahual - we were boarded and inspected by the Mexican Navy. And SEMARNAP (Mexican Fisheries) was docking the same time we were docking on the atoll.

 

[KPMullen]

Hi there
I learned how to dive with Dreamtime when they were still operating as Blue Ha and it was the best three weeks of my life. I’ve checked their website and they seem to have grown since I left a year ago (now they can house guests on the premises), but I can’t picture them becoming a big operation overcrowded with «boat people». Instructor Jono is extremely professional and safety-oriented, and both he and Tanya are very nice and ecology-conscious people. I regularly look for reviews on them on the Web and there’s only great feedback. And you won’t regret your diving in Mahahual. I just came back from the Red Sea and it was quite disappointing to see how damaged the reefs are. I’ve seen much nicer corals and sponges in Mahahual. Besides, the reef is so close from the shore that you can also swim and snorkel on your own.
As far as life outside the water goes: well, there’s not much to do in Mahahual, it’s all very quiet once the cruise ship leave, but that’s what’s so charming about the place. If you’re planning on diving everyday, you might want to stay at a place close from Blue Ha, as there are only 3 buses a day driving along the coast road (at least it was the case a year ago). But there are many taxis and it’s very safe and easy to get a ride from the locals (whom include many expats). I stayed at Travel’s Inn (km 6, about 2 miles from Blue Ha), a great and inexpensive place owned by a sweet Dutch-British family, and never had trouble getting into town.
If you’d like more info, just let me know, I so love this place I could keep on babbling for pages.
Annlaur

I too did my certification with Dreamtime... just recently (December 2012) after doing a Discover Scuba dive with them with a cruise group earlier. Most of my certification dives were private. I also enjoyed a couple of dives with the cruise people. They are still small enough to provide excellent service. They have not become a big operation overcrowded with cruise people. I actually flew into Cancun and drove four hours south to Mahahual. (Very interesting!) There are some bed and breakfasts close by as well as some "American hotels". I have no reservations recommending Dreamtime to anyone from beginner to experienced diver. The reef is breathtaking. Mahahual is a quiet, dare I say quaint, authentic small Mexican town.

 

[JoJo Armani]

Would it be faster and easier to get to Mahahual from Cancun or from Belize City?