Explore Zihuatanejo
Zihuatanejo is a city located on a sheltered bay on the Pacific (western) coast of Mexico, in the state of Guerrero. Zihuatanejo used to be a small fishing village, but has since developed (along with the neighboring resort-centric city of Ixtapa) into the third most-visited area of Mexico. The main attractions of this area are sportfishing, birdwatching, and scuba diving.
The protected bay of Zihuatanejo has almost no ocean current year-round and is therefore a great place for novice scuba divers and those wanting to acquire their certification. Farther offshore, there are deeper dive sites as well with caves and swim-throughs for advanced divers to explore. Both nearshore and offshore dive sites are accessible mostly by boat; shore diving is limited.
Dive Activity
Diving in Zihuatanejo
The dive environment at Zihuatanejo is great for beginners due to the lack of ocean current. The majority of dive sites are boat dives, with only two established shore dive sites in the bay of Zihuatanejo. Most dives site are pelagic or reef environments; there are hardly any wreck or wall dives here. The “Los Morros de Potosi” site offers one of the few wall dives in this area and also has some cave-diving opportunities. Due to the proximity of all dive sites to the coast, they can all be accessed via short boat trip through any of the five or so local dive shops. Therefore, liveaboard dive boats do not operate in this region.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Zihuatanejo
The dive sites at Zihuatanejo are home to a diverse array of marine fauna. On any given dive, divers will come across countless fish types, such as pufferfish, trumpetfish, grouper, flounder, triggerfish, parrotfish, and angelfish. Other wildlife that are commonly spotted include octopus, moray eels, stingrays, lobsters, and seahorses.
During the winter months, whale sharks are known to congregate in this region, and sightings of sea turtles, manta rays, and reef sharks have been recorded as well.
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.: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
330 Sightings
J
24
F
39
M
30
A
23
M
31
J
12
J
22
A
26
S
17
O
35
N
37
D
34
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 25
iStock/Juliosanjuan
Eagle Ray
114 Sightings
J
18
F
10
M
4
A
0
M
6
J
2
J
6
A
24
S
9
O
11
N
16
D
8
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 300
Alamy/Reinhard Dirscherl
Octopus
84 Sightings
J
7
F
1
M
7
A
10
M
8
J
7
J
11
A
9
S
4
O
0
N
8
D
12
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
80 Sightings
J
2
F
6
M
6
A
7
M
4
J
1
J
8
A
9
S
16
O
12
N
8
D
1
Shutterstock-Andrey Armyagov
Hawksbill Turtle
38 Sightings
J
0
F
1
M
2
A
9
M
3
J
5
J
9
A
4
S
5
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 approx.: 130
AdobeStock-JirinaVFR
Pufferfish
470 Sightings
J
44
F
37
M
30
A
46
M
52
J
25
J
41
A
46
S
26
O
26
N
51
D
46
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 20
iStock-stephankerkhofs
Porcupinefish
404 Sightings
J
38
F
38
M
29
A
38
M
53
J
15
J
28
A
33
S
21
O
21
N
46
D
44
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 130
Shutterstock_Krzysztof Odziomek
Butterfly Fish
370 Sightings
J
35
F
24
M
29
A
38
M
38
J
20
J
29
A
35
S
14
O
20
N
50
D
38
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 350
Alamy-Andre Seal
Damselfish
352 Sightings
J
26
F
32
M
27
A
39
M
31
J
19
J
38
A
38
S
12
O
16
N
42
D
32
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 85
iStock-mirecca
Surgeonfish
322 Sightings
J
27
F
27
M
25
A
30
M
34
J
12
J
34
A
26
S
16
O
24
N
37
D
30
The best Months to dive in Zihuatanejo
Zihuatanejo has the best diving conditions during the cooler months, from November through May. This is when the seas are calmest and the weather is most favorable. This is also the time during which divers may encounter pelagic species such as whale sharks and manta rays. These pelagic species are attracted to plankton blooms, however, which reduce visibility during these months. Therefore, for the best visibility, you should plan your trip to Zihuatanejo during the summer months (June through October). This is also when the sea surface temperature is warmest, reaching 27°C/80°F in August and September. Be mindful that this overlaps with the East Pacific Ocean’s hurricane season, which has cut short or cancelled many a trip to this region!
