Last week I took a cruise that stopped on Cozumel, Mexico. I had been to Cozumel two other times but this time we were dropped off in a different location than before. We used to snorkel at a restaurant/bar just a few blocks from the cruise port but we had no idea where it was so after some advice from a local we took a quick taxi drive to Playa Uvas Beach Club. The beach club was reasonably priced and offered rental snorkel gear like many other places along the beach. Since we were short on time I got into the water and started snorkeling right away.
The water in Cozumel is beautiful. Very clear and has a good amount of reef organisms. The sun was shinning brightly but a storm was quickly rolling in.
I love looking for Echinoderms whenever I'm at the beach. I found a bunch of beautiful brittlestars. This one is Ophiothrix angulata.
A school of Yellow Grunt - Haemulon flavolineatum
An interesting Octocoral
Vase Sponge
Caribbean Sea Anemone - Condylactis gigantea
Lettuce Coral - Agaricia tenuifolia
Lots of very friendly Sergeant Majors - Abudeduf saxatilis, Im sure they are used to being fed when groups of snorkelers come out.
A curious but fast Rock Beauty -Holacanthus tricolor
Peacock Flounder - Bothus lunatus, seemed to change color a little to match the substrate.
At this moment when it started to swim it had darkened.
Long-spinned Urchin - Diadema antillarum
French Angelfish - Pomacanthus paru, both are transitioning from juvenile to adult coloration.
The wind picked up, the temperature dropped, and the rain started pouring really hard so we were asked to come up and we went back to the cruise ship.
This short time was definitely the highlight of the whole trip for me!
I cant wait to go back to visit again.
All pictures taken with my Olympus Tough TG-610.
