Quintana Roo
Explore Quintana Roo Quintana Roo is one of Mexico’s 31 states and is located on the east coast of
Explore Mexico
Diving in Mexico offers an extraordinary adventure that stands out in the Western Hemisphere. With its two contrasting coastlines, Mexico presents a diverse underwater world. On the Pacific side, divers are greeted by cooler waters teeming with majestic manta rays, great white sharks, whales, and playful sea lions. In contrast, the Caribbean side boasts warm, clear waters nurturing vibrant coral reefs and attracting both colorful fish and gentle giants like whale sharks and bull sharks, which are prominent attractions at some dive sites. Beyond the shores, Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula reveals another diving marvel: the cenotes. These submerged freshwater caverns are a unique spectacle, offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience with their ethereal beauty and crystal-clear waters. Whether opting for shore dives, boat trips, or liveaboard excursions to remote islands like Socorro and Guadalupe, divers can explore an array of environments. With numerous dive centers throughout the country, enthusiasts can easily find professional guidance to embark on these underwater journeys, ensuring a safe and memorable dive holiday in Mexico.
Power Plug Type
A, B
Payment Method
VISA, MC, AMEX, DIS, Cir, Plus
Tipping
10–15% / Service Staff / Tipping is expected in restaurants, hotels, and for taxi drivers; small tips are also appreciated for bag handlers and gas station attendants.
Currency
MXN
Dial Code
+52
Electricity
127V / 60Hz
Time
UTC−8 to UTC−5
Places to explore
Courses and Events
Dive Centers
Dive Sites
Top Wildlife Sightings in Mexico
Great white sharks, the rulers of the oceanic food chain, can be found in abundance around Guadalupe Island, 250 kilometers off Mexico’s west coast. These giants use Guadalupe’s waters to hunt for sea lions, but they spend part of the day cruising calmly at a shallow depth. There are governmental rules and restrictions on chumming (putting fish in the water to attract sharks) in Guadalupe, for the good of both divers and sharks.
Oceanic manta rays are a dream of many divers, and Socorro island is famous for them. It’s often said that the mantas at Socorro, some reaching seven meters in wingspan, are the friendliest in the whole world. They tend to get close to divers, and often look them in the eye. Socorro and its neighboring islands in the Revillagigedo peninsula are hotspots for big wildlife. The list includes dolphins, whale sharks, humpback whales and hammerheads.
Bull sharks, a mighty and versatile tropical predator, can be seen in Caribbean Playa del Carmen. Female bull sharks use Playa’s shallow blue waters to breed from November to March. Bull shark dives are done without cages, so it’s important that divers stay calm, follow rules, and maintain good buoyancy.
Whale sharks, the biggest fish in the ocean, can be found in abundance near the island of Isla Mujeres off the coast of Cancun. These gentle giants gather every year to feast on the spawn of local fish species. Diving with them is not allowed, but snorkeling is just as good, if not better. The sharks skim the surface with their gaping mouths, and without heavy gear and tanks, snorkelers can more easily swim alongside them.
Saltwater crocodiles are gaining popularity as truly special marine creatures to encounter underwater. These animals are powerful, ancient predators, and snorkeling with them requires caution and guidance from trained operators. However, more and more divers are craving the awe of getting close to these reptiles’ armored bodies and huge jaws. Banco Chinchorro is the place to snorkel with saltwater crocodiles, as they live in the atoll’s mangrove forests and forage in its seagrass beds.
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: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
19k Sightings
J
2k
F
1.7k
M
1.7k
A
1.2k
M
1.2k
J
1.2k
J
1.6k
A
1.4k
S
1.1k
O
1.5k
N
2k
D
2k
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
15k Sightings
J
1.4k
F
1.3k
M
1.7k
A
1.1k
M
1.1k
J
1.3k
J
1.4k
A
1.1k
S
738
O
974
N
1.1k
D
1.3k
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
10k Sightings
J
1.9k
F
1.7k
M
1.6k
A
620
M
312
J
226
J
390
A
334
S
249
O
281
N
858
D
1.6k
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
6.8k Sightings
J
716
F
548
M
697
A
397
M
519
J
525
J
665
A
558
S
357
O
521
N
696
D
633
Shutterstock-Andrey Armyagov
Hawksbill Turtle
6.7k Sightings
J
612
F
623
M
727
A
477
M
518
J
515
J
700
A
528
S
369
O
546
N
555
D
500
iStock-ShaneGross
Loggerhead Turtle
5.4k Sightings
J
460
F
411
M
694
A
492
M
576
J
552
J
535
A
385
S
243
O
323
N
383
D
380
iStock/HakBak1979
Bull Shark
3.5k Sightings
J
684
F
454
M
220
A
61
M
59
J
49
J
45
A
71
S
41
O
121
N
917
D
802
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 7
iStock-Michael Zeigler
Sea Lion
3.3k Sightings
J
212
F
233
M
211
A
149
M
213
J
94
J
155
A
196
S
360
O
546
N
625
D
351
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
3k Sightings
J
249
F
291
M
431
A
142
M
225
J
224
J
223
A
312
S
149
O
205
N
295
D
289
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 300
Alamy/Reinhard Dirscherl
Octopus
2.6k Sightings
J
266
F
195
M
297
A
146
M
199
J
193
J
337
A
231
S
128
O
192
N
205
D
233
