Cozumel · Mexico · Wall · Reef · Coral garden
Cedral Wall
Coral gardens on the shelf, steep drops below to 27 m
Area photo: Matthew T Rader · CC BY-SA 4.0
A two-part site on Cozumel's reef line that can be dived along the wall or closer to shore over the reef, where coral gardens sit on the shallow shelf. The dive starts at around 13 metres and can reach about 27, which makes it a straightforward multi-level rather than a dive planned tightly around one maximum depth. Currents are usually moderate.
Where it is and how deep
20.3602° N, 87.0333° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
Entry is over the reef at around 13 metres, where the coral gardens sit on the shallow shelf before the ground falls away. The wall runs below that and takes the dive down to about 27 metres, in a series of steep drops rather than one continuous vertical face. The site can be dived either way, along the wall or closer to shore over the reef, and the two halves are distinct enough that a dive can be built around either one.
Currents are usually moderate, so the dive covers ground without becoming a race, and there is a good chance of turning up a giant green moray eel. Cedral also runs into Santa Rosa, which is the other reason it gets dived: starting on the Cedral wall and carrying on to Santa Rosa puts both walls into a single dive, which works best on nitrox given the depth. The light here is at its best in the late afternoon.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
Season follows Cozumel: January–April is prime with December close behind; lighter trades keep the leeward side calm, though winter nortes can shut the port for a day. Peak hurricane risk falls in September and October.
Sources
- Cedral Wall — Scubago
- Cedral Wall dive site — Scuba Du
- Santa Rosa Wall (nearby-sites panel) — Scubago
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