Explore Mahahual

Mahahual is a village on the east coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula that is about 300 kilometers/186 miles south of Caucún in the state of Quintana Roo. It is located near the main cruise ship port of the tourist region of Costa Maya, and is therefore subject to a large influx of tourists year-round.

Tourists visit Mahahual for its access to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System and the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Mahahual is a great home base for divers who want to explore the stunning dive sites of Sian Ka’an, which is an area of protected land and ocean (including Mayan ruins and part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef) and is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among divers, the main attraction of this reserve is Banco Chinchorro, an atoll reef that is located just 30km offshore from Mahahual. It is known for its colorful reefs and majestic shipwrecks. Since Banco Chinchorro is technically part of the marine reserve, diving here must be done through a local reputable dive shop that has the correct permits. Liveaboard dive boats are not normally found in this region.

Aside from its proximity to this protected reef site, Mahahual is also close to some of this region’s many cenotes, or partially exposed underwater caves. Cenotes have great visibility, and the striking geologic formations found inside make for an exciting dive.

Courses and Events

Advanced Open Water Diver

If you cannot decide which specialty programs are the best choice for you, join the SSI Advanced Open Water Diver program! With this program, you can try a variety of specialties before committing to full specialty programs. It is a great way to experience what advanced diver training is all about and how valuable it can be to your diving adventures. During the Advanced Open Water Diver Program, you will try out 5 different specialties. You will complete one open water training dive per specialty after a comprehensive briefing with your SSI Instructor. With this trial program in specialty diving, you will have total freedom to explore. You can complete the full specialty programs any time in the future and credit your Advanced Open Water Diver training towards them.

11 February +13 More
EUR 371.26
MXN 7,600.00

Open Water Diver

This globally recognized certification program is the best way to begin your lifelong adventures as a certified scuba diver. Personalized training is combined with in-water practice sessions to ensure you have the skills and experience required to become truly comfortable underwater. You will earn the SSI Open Water Diver certification.

13 February +14 More
EUR 385.92
MXN 7,900.00

Open Water Instructor (Instructor Training Course ITC)

Start today - You need to be a Divemaster or equivalent to join SSI's 3-Step Instructor Training Approach. The training process begins with enrollment in the combined Assistant Instructor / Instructor Training Course accompanied by digital learning. Upon successful completion of the Instructor Training Course (ITC), you will enroll in an Instructor Evaluation (IE) to qualify as an SSI Open Water Instructor. This 12-day training program qualifies you to independently teach several key SSI programs, such as Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress & Rescue and Dive Guide. For those who want to take more time to learn and gain valuable teaching experience between training programs, the 3 parts can also be completed as individual steps: Assistant Instructor, Instructor Training Course (ITC) and Instructor Evaluation (IE), one after the other, at your own pace and flexible schedule.

01 May +2 More
EUR 2,101.50
USD 2,500.00

Dive Activity

Diving in

Mahahual has reef-diving, drift-diving, and wreck-diving at offshore sites – Banco Chinchorro itself offers all three! Banco Chinchorro also caters to different experience levels; the protected side of the atoll is geared towards beginner and intermediate divers, whereas the exposed side that is subject to strong surf and current should only be dived by advanced divers.

Cenote-diving is only a short drive from Mahahual and can also be tailored to the experience level of the divers. Diving in cenotes can range from easy, shallow (5m) dives in areas that are always illuminated by natural light, to technically challenging, deeper (15m) dives that require navigating through dark cave systems.

Top Wildlife Sightings in Mahahual

As part of a protected area, Banco Chinchorro is home to healthy coral reefs and vibrant flora and fauna. Divers can expect to see lobsters, stingrays, groupers, angelfish, damselfish, and hundreds of other fish. Green, Hawksbill, and Loggerhead turtles are also frequently spotted in this area. If you’re lucky, you may come across a nurse shark relaxing in one of the tunnels and caverns that dot this underwater landscape.

Cenotes are filled with brackish water, or a mixture of freshwater and salty seawater, which creates a unique ecosystem. Organisms such as cichlids, catfish, molly fish, tetras, and shrimp can be found swimming among the stalagmites in cenotes.

Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 25

iStock/Juliosanjuan

Eagle Ray
218 Sightings
J
22
F
31
M
33
A
12
M
18
J
4
J
10
A
26
S
14
O
10
N
27
D
11

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 200

Alamy-WaterFrame

Moray Eel
173 Sightings
J
2
F
0
M
21
A
11
M
7
J
13
J
23
A
43
S
6
O
10
N
21
D
16
iStock-ShaneGross

Loggerhead Turtle
74 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
12
A
11
M
1
J
0
J
14
A
22
S
0
O
0
N
12
D
2
Shutterstock-Ed Jenkins

Hawksbill Turtle
68 Sightings
J
0
F
17
M
8
A
0
M
16
J
0
J
17
A
0
S
10
O
0
N
0
D
0
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography

Green Turtle
51 Sightings
J
1
F
0
M
7
A
0
M
5
J
2
J
13
A
13
S
4
O
6
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 600

iStock/ultramarinfoto

Wrasse
37 Sightings
J
1
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
4
S
25
O
4
N
3
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 27

iStock-Global_Pics

Barracuda
32 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
1
M
2
J
0
J
1
A
25
S
3
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 80

iStock/Extreme-Photographer

Stingrays
319 Sightings
J
34
F
36
M
20
A
7
M
9
J
15
J
24
A
65
S
31
O
21
N
36
D
21

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 100

iStock-burnsboxco

Parrotfish
264 Sightings
J
28
F
19
M
9
A
2
M
0
J
5
J
38
A
56
S
37
O
31
N
21
D
18

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 12

iStock/cinoby

Lionfish
254 Sightings
J
22
F
26
M
23
A
12
M
4
J
4
J
17
A
42
S
2
O
31
N
39
D
32
Show More

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 90

Shutterstock-Rich Carey

Angelfish
218 Sightings
J
28
F
25
M
15
A
1
M
0
J
6
J
25
A
39
S
11
O
23
N
27
D
18

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 130

Shutterstock_Krzysztof Odziomek

Butterfly Fish
218 Sightings
J
24
F
21
M
10
A
1
M
0
J
5
J
29
A
39
S
33
O
20
N
27
D
9

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 85

iStock-mirecca

Surgeonfish
181 Sightings
J
14
F
17
M
10
A
0
M
0
J
5
J
27
A
38
S
30
O
24
N
16
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 350

Alamy-Andre Seal

Damselfish
115 Sightings
J
8
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
20
A
33
S
25
O
22
N
5
D
2

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 25

AdobeStock_Vladimir Wrangel

Boxfish
93 Sightings
J
25
F
0
M
0
A
1
M
5
J
0
J
0
A
26
S
15
O
15
N
6
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 150

Shutterstock-aquapix

Sweetlips and Grunts
88 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
13
A
25
S
25
O
21
N
4
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 55

k

Lobster
78 Sightings
J
0
F
2
M
17
A
8
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
8
S
3
O
14
N
11
D
15

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 90

Shutterstock-Levent Konuk

Goatfish
74 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
2
M
0
J
0
J
21
A
6
S
24
O
15
N
6
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 7000

iStock-Michael Zeigler

Crab
70 Sightings
J
13
F
0
M
7
A
2
M
1
J
0
J
8
A
11
S
8
O
0
N
7
D
13

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 40

iStock-wrangel

Triggerfish
66 Sightings
J
1
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
1
J
0
J
0
A
18
S
23
O
16
N
5
D
2

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 30

Shutterstock-s_a_j

Sand Eel
44 Sightings
J
1
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
9
A
11
S
14
O
9
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 60

iStock-Global_Pics

Spiny Lobster
38 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
2
M
1
J
0
J
6
A
12
S
3
O
4
N
8
D
2

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 130

AdobeStock-JirinaVFR

Pufferfish
32 Sightings
J
0
F
7
M
0
A
0
M
1
J
5
J
0
A
0
S
2
O
4
N
13
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 40

iStock-Hoatzinexp

Jackfish
21 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
3
A
5
S
2
O
11
N
0
D
0

The best Months to dive in Mahahual

Diving in Mahahual is popular year-round. Surface water temperatures stay consistently warm and only cool slightly in the wintertime. Temperatures can range from 24°C/75°F in the winter to 29°C/85°F in the summer months. For the best visibility and best lighting in cenotes, May through November is the time to visit. To increase your chances of an encounter with pelagic megafauna, December through April is your best bet. 

Dive Centers

Doctor Dive

Avenida Mahahual manzana 12 lote 2 local 1, 77976 Mahahual, QR - MEX

MAR ADENTRO DIVING

Malecón de Mahahual S/N Blue Kay, 77976 Mahahual, QR - MEX

ALUX DIVERS

Malecon Esquina Calle Rubia, 77976 Mahahual, QR - MEX

Mahahual Dive Centre, Mahahual Expediciones S.A. de C.V.

Malecon entre calle Atun y Almeja Mza.22 Lote 2, 77976 Mahahual, QR - MEX

Buceando Mahahual, Moisés Machado Sánchez

Av. Mahahual S/N Pargo Y Rubia, 77976 Mahahual, QR - MEX

Dive Sites

Buceando Mahahual, 77976 Mahahual

Acuario (★4.6)

Shallow easy reef dive site. Maximum depth 13m. Mixture of sandy areas and reef. Ideal for Basic Diver and Open Water courses, also excellent training dive site with a large sandy area by the boat moooring line.
MAR ADENTRO DIVING, 77976 Mahahual

La China Nómada (★4.7)

This site is born from the millenial growth of the coral reef, giving birth to taller walls and a wide and a narrow canyon where a shark sometimes comes to rest. Following the walls while hunting lionfish will lead you to two islands surrounded by big specimens of barrel sponges.
MAR ADENTRO DIVING, 77976 Mahahual

Simio Bipolar (★4.6)

It is a group of coral islands on a flat sandy bottom. It is very appropriate for both very beginners and for Open Water divers as depth ranges from 9 meters/30 feet to 15 meters/50 feet. Visibility is usually more than 20 meters/65 feet and the abundance of fish on the coral islands is an admirable beauty.
Mares, Predrag Vuckovic

Mahahual Reef (★4.6)

Mahahual Reef sits on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second-largest reef system in the world and boasts crystal clear water, healthy coral, colorful sponges, and tons of reef life.