Palancar Caves
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
Dived here today? How were conditions vs. what we showed?
About this site
The reef that made Cozumel famous — a long stretch of coral buttresses and ravines along the island's southwest wall, dived as a gentle drift in the clear current. Palancar Caves is a maze of coral canyons, swim-throughs and tunnels between towering coral heads, with turtles, groupers and eagle rays passing by. The easy drift and warm, clear water make it enjoyable for most divers, with the swim-throughs a highlight.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Southern StingrayHypanus americanusReported here · unconfirmed
Red Cushion Sea StarOreaster reticulatusReported here · unconfirmed
French AngelfishPomacanthus paruReported here · unconfirmed
Giant AnemoneCondylactis giganteaReported here · unconfirmed
Atlantic Blue TangAcanthurus coeruleusReported here · unconfirmed
Caribbean Spiny LobsterPanulirus argusReported here · unconfirmed
Atlantic Sergeant MajorAbudefduf saxatilisReported here · unconfirmed
Bar JackCaranx ruberReported here · unconfirmed
Schoolmaster SnapperLutjanus apodusReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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