In the dive community, Cozumel always gets a lot of buzz. It’s often touted as one of the greatest dive destinations, once even endorsed by Jacques Cousteau. This stamp of approval however is not unique to Cozumel; it’s popped up for many of the locations we've explored. You know the one: "Named by Jacques Cousteau as one of the TOP 10 dive spots in the world." We’ve seen this on countless blogs for what feels like many more than 10 dive sites—at times diminishing the credibility of the claim. But our team wanted to see if this “Michelin star of the sea” was still appropriately deserved, all these years later.
In 1961, Cousteau visited Cozumel and was mesmerized by the island's vibrant underwater life and extensive coral reefs. He filmed a documentary that showcased the spectacular underwater scenery, bringing international attention to Cozumel as a premier diving destination. Cousteau's exploration and subsequent endorsement put Cozumel on the map for diving enthusiasts around the world.
Prior to his visit, the local community in Cozumel had a subsistence-based relationship with the ocean, primarily focused on fishing. The island's shift towards diving tourism began in earnest in the 1970s, as the word spread about its crystal-clear waters and diverse marine life. And by the 1980s, Cozumel had established itself as a world-class diving destination.
Cozumel’s reefs featuring shallow coral gardens filled with colorful fish to deep walls that drop down into the abyss have continued to attract divers of all kinds ever since—most notably the famous Palancar Reef and Santa Rosa Wall. The establishment of the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park in 1996 was a significant step in protecting the reefs from overfishing and environmental degradation, ensuring that the underwater wonders of Cozumel remain intact now and in the future.
Another reason why people love Cozumel, especially those in Mexico and the USA, is because it’s an epic destination that’s easily accessible in the scheme of scuba diving. Located off the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, Cozumel is situated in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 12 miles (20 km) from Playa del Carmen on the mainland of Quintana Roo. The island is roughly 50 miles (80 km) south of Cancún and is a popular cruise ship port of call. Cozumel International Airport offers direct flights from major U.S. cities such as Miami, Houston, and Dallas, and regular ferry services from Playa del Carmen provide easy access for those traveling from the mainland.
For those seeking a warm location with good visibility and very easy boat rides to and from the sites, Cozumel fits the bill. With Cousteau's endorsement still holding true, at least by our verdict, it’s a destination that promises great underwater splendor. It’s critical to note that for those who don’t enjoy drift diving or aren’t particularly interested in coral reefs and high concentrations of sponges, this might not be the place for you—as this is certainly what most consider “the main event.”
Now I know to some, exploring Cozumel, practically the “Disney World” of diving, may seem a bit off-brand for the Edges of Earth team. But for us, Cozumel was a necessary and somewhat quick stop on our expedition trail. The hype this place has received over the years from the dive community made it a crucial pit stop to survey while exploring the Yucatán Peninsula. It was the second time since being on our expedition where we distinctly faced over-tourism head-on—the first being Roatan, Honduras, where we documented the Roatan Marine Park's efforts to combat it. Here in Cozumel, we were just passing through, but the extent of overcrowding was impossible to ignore.
You didn’t feel it or see it so much on land, but you definitely felt it in the water. On the surface, there were easily a dozen boats perched at the same dive sites, with groups backrolling in, team after team. The sheer number of people scuba diving was staggering. On one hand, it’s great to see so many people experiencing the underwater world and developing a care for what lies beneath the surface. On the other though, the sheer volume of divers raised serious concerns about the impact on the reef.
This dilemma is a complicated one, and it’s related to the challenges of travel more generally speaking. Travel opens our eyes to different cultures and perspectives, fosters empathy, and makes us appreciate what we are learning as well as all that we have. However, travel also contributes significantly to the climate crisis, with flying acting as a huge contributor to our emissions problem. The diving conundrum is similar. Would the ocean be in better shape if us land-lubbers just stayed out of the water?
More often than not, when we ask ourselves these hard questions, the cold truth is that WE are the problem. If we stayed out of the water, the reefs would remain less disturbed, and more likely to thrive. If we stopped flying, emissions would drop. The cost of flying on our planet has been a significant pressure point for how we plan our global expedition and something we’ve had to school up on as we tackle voyaging to all seven continents. For a more in-depth look at the impact of flying and the trade-offs we ALL need to start considering, check out this article in Outside which does a great job outlining the situation at hand with stats from the years of 2018 - 2022 on the subject.
Even if you are one of the best divers out there with thousands of dives under your belt, you still make mistakes and can damage the ecosystems you explore. Forgetting to use reef-safe sunscreen, for instance, is one of the easiest ways to screw things up unintentionally. We've all done it, and as long as we keep diving, we’ll continue to make these errors. So, what’s the solution? Do we stop diving in Cozumel? Do we stop flying to new destinations? Should we stay home and never explore the natural world around us? As world travelers ourselves, who plan to continue traveling for another whole year, offering a resounding “yes,” to these questions is a bit impossible. Frankly, there are no easy answers, nor solutions.
To us, the challenge lies in finding a balance—enjoying and learning from our natural world while minimizing our negative impact. We believe in heavily weighing all of our travel, diving and life choices for that matter—big and small—and gradually reducing our impact based on what we know and what is actually achievable in our lives. Instead of flying 20 times a year, aim for 10, and continue to reduce that number over time. Opt for alternative modes of transport—opt for car versus cruise ship—or make smarter flight routes if going from place to place.
For example, while we could have flown to each country in Central America, we instead chose to drive. It was a far more complicated, time-consuming, and emotionally draining process while balancing fieldwork, our consulting business and our general safety. But it was a step towards reducing our carbon footprint. It’s not perfect, but it’s something.
When it comes to diving, we’ve created a list of actions to maintain our underwater exploration sustainably. The first step is to stay on the training circuit, mastering skills to ensure that buoyancy control is second nature. Another frequently utilized tactic by our team is to schedule our diving during off or shoulder seasons to avoid overcrowding. In places like Cozumel, this can be challenging since there are always people in the water 300 days a year, which sometimes means giving the place a break or maybe even removing it from the dive “must see” list. Being mindful of where and when we dive is key. Additionally, choosing dive operators who prioritize ecosystem health is crucial, as they influence where you dive and what sites you see.
We aspire to arm ourselves with as much knowledge as possible about the destinations, dive sites, and ways to give back when we’re there. A good way of doing that is volunteering with local, ocean focused nonprofits, participating in underwater cleanups, or donating to marine parks and protected areas. These teams are the ones that help maintain the delicate ecosystems we are so fortunate to explore, so giving back and learning from them is incredibly beneficial. Above all, we need to understand that we’re in desperate need of balance: knowing when to dive in and explore and when it’s time to step back and let the ocean thrive without us.
Many new divers, albeit some outstandingly nice and kind people, were unintentionally kicking up silt and banging on the corals, while numerous dive operators were dropping too many people on sites that clearly needed a break. And it was disheartening to hear divers complain that what they were seeing didn't meet their expectations. For those fortunate enough to be on these reefs experiencing what's left, there should be zero complaints. Instead, we should celebrate the opportunity to be here, knowing that future generations might face an even worse baseline at the rate we’re going. Every dive should be relished as if it were our best.
As we continue our expedition, we wrestle with the hard facts staring us in the face. How do we balance every aspect of our lives and start prioritizing our contributions to the biggest issues we face today? The best we can do, when confronting climate change everywhere we go, is get smarter and take incremental steps to do better. Trying to achieve “climate perfection” is going to be near impossible at the present moment, but doing better is actually what we all need to be striving for. One by one, making those little tweaks and refinements might mean the next generation gets to see those bright orange sponges and the amazing swim-throughs that Cozumel offers its drift dive lovers, like us.
To be continued …
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