Palancar Reef is made up of shallow (7km) to deep (up to 40km) dive sites due to its variety of underwater landscapes, such as crevasses, ravines, caves, and swim-through tunnels. This unique landscape thus makes for many distinct dive sites that can be enjoyed. Aside from underwater features, the marine flora and fauna is spectacular. This rich ecosystem is even home to some endemic species, such as the Splendid Toadfish. In general, diving around Cozumel Island is known for its spectacular visibility, with an average of more than 40m.

Upcoming Events

Dive Activity

Diving in Palancar Reef

Dive sites at Palancar Reef are versatile in that they offer something for divers ranging in experience from freshly certified to seasoned with thousands of logged dives. The dive sites geared towards novice divers consist of mostly reef dives, with countless stunning sponges and corals to see, as well as the multitude of colorful tropical fish that call them home. That being said, Palancar Reef is best known for its wall- and drift-diving, which is generally geared towards a more advanced crowd.

Cozumel Island and nearby Playa del Carmen have a large number of dive shops and dive resorts that send boats out to dive sites on Palancar Reef daily and sometimes twice-daily. These shops also offer certification courses for people hoping to learn how to scuba dive on their vacation, or for those looking to complete the open water portion of their certification.

Dive Centers

Dive Sites

The best Months to dive in Palancar Reef

The best time of year to dive Palancar Reef is December through April. This is when the water is cooler and visibility is best. During this window, the average water temperature is 25-28°C (78-82°F). If you prefer to avoid the crowds and dive in warmer waters, May through November is the time to visit. Keep in mind, however, that this overlaps with hurricane season, which has cut short many trips to this region.

Top Wildlife Sightings in Palancar Reef

During an average dive on Palancar Reef, it is common to see large coral heads, sponges, and 300 types of tropical fish and invertebrates. These tropical fish include triggerfish, angelfish, snappers, jacks, and the endemic Splendid Toadfish. Other fauna that can be spotted along the reef are Loggerhead, Hawksbill, and Green sea turtles, stingrays, and sharks.

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 approx.: 27

Barracuda

Barracuda

14k Sightings
J
1.2k
F
1.1k
M
1.6k
A
1.2k
M
1.2k
J
1.4k
J
1.4k
A
913
S
603
O
851
N
950
D
1.1k

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

Total number of species approx.: 200

Moray Eel

Moray Eel

11k Sightings
J
1.2k
F
978
M
1.2k
A
915
M
943
J
923
J
1k
A
726
S
461
O
740
N
889
D
1k

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

Total number of species approx.: 25

Eagle Ray

Eagle Ray

9.9k Sightings
J
2k
F
1.7k
M
1.8k
A
778
M
318
J
258
J
352
A
223
S
167
O
201
N
745
D
1.4k
Hawksbill Turtle

Hawksbill Turtle

6.4k Sightings
J
599
F
524
M
716
A
607
M
546
J
593
J
685
A
475
S
262
O
463
N
503
D
461
Loggerhead Turtle

Loggerhead Turtle

5.7k Sightings
J
420
F
393
M
640
A
651
M
655
J
658
J
693
A
371
S
208
O
280
N
396
D
356
Green Turtle

Green Turtle

5.5k Sightings
J
563
F
460
M
634
A
503
M
538
J
555
J
542
A
350
S
190
O
350
N
390
D
451

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

Total number of species approx.: 600

Wrasse

Wrasse

2.6k Sightings
J
228
F
213
M
401
A
194
M
165
J
244
J
286
A
242
S
76
O
158
N
191
D
211

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

Total number of species approx.: 300

Octopus

Octopus

2.1k Sightings
J
250
F
196
M
275
A
141
M
159
J
144
J
218
A
148
S
83
O
157
N
185
D
148

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

Total number of species approx.: 80

Stingrays

Stingrays

18k Sightings
J
1.8k
F
1.6k
M
2k
A
1.4k
M
1.4k
J
1.6k
J
2k
A
1.3k
S
810
O
1k
N
1.2k
D
1.5k

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

Total number of species approx.: 90

Angelfish

Angelfish

15k Sightings
J
1.4k
F
1.3k
M
1.8k
A
1.3k
M
1.2k
J
1.5k
J
1.5k
A
1.2k
S
773
O
988
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 approx.: 100

Parrotfish

Parrotfish

15k Sightings
J
1.3k
F
1.2k
M
1.8k
A
1.3k
M
1.2k
J
1.4k
J
1.4k
A
1.1k
S
654
O
995
N
1.1k
D
1.2k

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

Total number of species approx.: 2

Nurse Shark

Nurse Shark

14k Sightings
J
1.5k
F
1.1k
M
1.4k
A
1.4k
M
1.2k
J
1.2k
J
1.5k
A
986
S
669
O
997
N
1.2k
D
1.2k

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

Total number of species approx.: 130

Pufferfish

Pufferfish

9.4k Sightings
J
960
F
796
M
1.3k
A
825
M
760
J
894
J
906
A
620
S
406
O
561
N
661
D
755

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

Total number of species approx.: 130

Butterfly Fish

Butterfly Fish

8.5k Sightings
J
741
F
630
M
1k
A
745
M
703
J
852
J
874
A
743
S
397
O
559
N
585
D
688

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

Total number of species approx.: 60

Spiny Lobster

Spiny Lobster

7.9k Sightings
J
750
F
768
M
1k
A
706
M
560
J
581
J
764
A
610
S
348
O
519
N
604
D
684

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

Total number of species approx.: 40

Triggerfish

Triggerfish

7.3k Sightings
J
633
F
592
M
970
A
731
M
567
J
765
J
760
A
550
S
352
O
410
N
452
D
525

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

Total number of species approx.: 7000

Crab

Crab

6.9k Sightings
J
638
F
645
M
897
A
549
M
521
J
535
J
599
A
459
S
330
O
513
N
557
D
623

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

Total number of species approx.: 85

Surgeonfish

Surgeonfish

6.3k Sightings
J
549
F
448
M
665
A
487
M
446
J
629
J
721
A
596
S
386
O
381
N
485
D
466

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

Total number of species approx.: 55

Lobster

Lobster

6.1k Sightings
J
489
F
576
M
778
A
463
M
485
J
621
J
620
A
348
S
247
O
465
N
456
D
520

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

Total number of species approx.: 25

Boxfish

Boxfish

5.3k Sightings
J
432
F
457
M
741
A
523
M
371
J
507
J
511
A
457
S
169
O
292
N
392
D
416

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

Total number of species approx.: 350

Damselfish

Damselfish

5.1k Sightings
J
436
F
374
M
655
A
426
M
410
J
561
J
520
A
496
S
214
O
300
N
315
D
405

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

Total number of species approx.: 150

Sweetlips and Grunts

Sweetlips and Grunts

4.4k Sightings
J
307
F
281
M
448
A
420
M
379
J
574
J
465
A
457
S
194
O
239
N
325
D
325

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

Total number of species approx.: 250

Grouper/Basslets

Grouper/Basslets

3.6k Sightings
J
239
F
295
M
404
A
300
M
289
J
413
J
373
A
297
S
124
O
211
N
332
D
317

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

Total number of species approx.: 3

Trumpetfish

Trumpetfish

3.4k Sightings
J
342
F
261
M
431
A
269
M
183
J
304
J
258
A
259
S
150
O
300
N
353
D
319

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

Total number of species approx.: 12

Lionfish

Lionfish

3.2k Sightings
J
233
F
261
M
230
A
151
M
135
J
395
J
510
A
297
S
193
O
297
N
279
D
199

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

Total number of species approx.: 110

Snapper

Snapper

3k Sightings
J
189
F
219
M
387
A
268
M
223
J
323
J
373
A
232
S
82
O
173
N
290
D
245

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

Total number of species approx.: 90

Goatfish

Goatfish

2.8k Sightings
J
235
F
237
M
367
A
256
M
194
J
291
J
259
A
319
S
97
O
180
N
164
D
192

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

Total number of species approx.: 40

Jackfish

Jackfish

2.7k Sightings
J
217
F
195
M
371
A
216
M
234
J
286
J
229
A
290
S
96
O
169
N
205
D
181

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

Total number of species approx.: 120

Flounder

Flounder

2.3k Sightings
J
192
F
170
M
363
A
189
M
225
J
236
J
221
A
151
S
91
O
96
N
162
D
199

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

Total number of species approx.: 20

Porcupinefish

Porcupinefish

1.9k Sightings
J
175
F
202
M
384
A
177
M
127
J
146
J
128
A
83
S
68
O
113
N
163
D
167

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

Total number of species approx.: 60

Soldierfish

Soldierfish

1.5k Sightings
J
153
F
110
M
290
A
142
M
66
J
161
J
186
A
144
S
17
O
51
N
101
D
101

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

Total number of species approx.: 60

Squirrelfish

Squirrelfish

1.2k Sightings
J
84
F
56
M
249
A
87
M
42
J
126
J
113
A
75
S
57
O
105
N
101
D
139

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

Total number of species approx.: 3400

Shrimp

Shrimp

1.1k Sightings
J
107
F
123
M
196
A
82
M
91
J
62
J
74
A
90
S
30
O
51
N
84
D
104

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

Total number of species approx.: 250

Scorpionfish

Scorpionfish

780 Sightings
J
67
F
62
M
159
A
70
M
79
J
37
J
113
A
69
S
8
O
4
N
91
D
21
Common Seahorse

Common Seahorse

628 Sightings
J
97
F
59
M
71
A
45
M
58
J
32
J
52
A
39
S
12
O
68
N
76
D
19

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

Total number of species approx.: 8

Bannerfish

Bannerfish

623 Sightings
J
50
F
60
M
116
A
38
M
29
J
56
J
46
A
133
S
11
O
46
N
21
D
17

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

Total number of species approx.: 28

Clownfish

Clownfish

563 Sightings
J
101
F
21
M
35
A
39
M
28
J
28
J
54
A
55
S
16
O
65
N
82
D
39

Curated by Interest

Events by Lifestyle Category

Scuba Enthusiasts