Frequently asked questions about diving the Mexican Caribbean

November to March. The females arrive once the water passes 26 °C and leave around April. By the accumulated experience of the local fleet, the months of highest concentration are December, January and February — which are also the months with the highest risk of port closures from cold fronts.

No. The site is around 25 metres deep, on a sand bottom more than a kilometre offshore. The sharks do not come to the surface: this is scuba, not snorkelling. If you want a surface experience with a large shark, that is the whale shark, a completely different season running May to September.

From US$165 per person, including full equipment, class, practice and two dives with an instructor. Price varies by destination: Cancun and Puerto Morelos from US$165, Cozumel from US$189, Playa del Carmen from US$195, and the cenote from US$219 with hotel pick-up.

10 years old, per PADI standards. Minors always dive with an instructor and at reduced depths.

From US$145 per person in Cancun and Puerto Morelos, US$149 in Playa del Carmen and US$175 in Cozumel. Cenotes start at US$229 and bull sharks at US$209.

We run a same-day refresher before the trip: skill review in shallow water, weighting adjustment and buoyancy control. Then you dive as normal.

The water stays around 25 °C all year. A 3 mm wetsuit is enough for two dives. If you feel the cold badly, tell us and we will adjust the thickness.

Yes for cavern cenotes: Open Water minimum, and Advanced for deep sites like The Pit or Zapote. The exception is Casa Cenote — open and shallow — where you can dive without certification alongside an instructor.

From US$529, including a certified instructor, PADI digital learning materials, pool training, four open water dives and the certification itself. The Advanced Open Water starts at US$515.

2 to 3 days. If you complete the digital theory from home before travelling, it fits comfortably into two days.

A 2-tank trip for certified divers starts at US$175 per person, with guide, equipment and marine park fees. 2-person minimum. Discover Scuba for beginners from US$189 with lunch included.

Car or shuttle to Playa del Carmen (about 50 minutes) then the ferry to Cozumel (about 45 minutes). We can quote the full transfer from your hotel.

About 30 minutes by car from the Hotel Zone. We can quote transport if you need it.

Yes. On all of our Puerto Morelos trips the National Park fees are included in the price.

November to March, when the females move into shallow water. Outside those months the animals disperse and the activity is not offered.

Run by professional operators with clear protocols, it is a controlled activity. The group stays still and in formation while the guide maintains distance and order. The essential thing is following the briefing exactly.

In the municipality of Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, between La Paz and San Jose del Cabo, on the Gulf of California coast. You reach it by road from either airport. Transport to the meeting point is not included in the trips, but we can quote it.

From October to December the water is still warm from the summer and visibility is high: it is the best window of the year. That said, the park is dived all twelve months and we operate year-round.

No. This is surface snorkelling. You only need to be comfortable in the water; a life jacket is mandatory and a guide accompanies every turn.

No. Whale sharks are filter feeders and pose no danger to people. The activity is regulated by the protected area: a limited number of swimmers in the water, a minimum distance and no touching.

It depends on your level and what you are after. For a unique experience, MUSA has no equivalent anywhere in the world. For marine life, the Puerto Morelos reef. For adrenaline, the Punta Cancun wreck.

Most sites sit between 8 and 18 metres, accessible with an Open Water certification. The wreck, at around 24 metres, is the only one where we recommend Advanced.