Cozumel · Mexico · Reef
Chankanaab Reef
Sheltered reef just off Chankanaab National Park
Area photo: Matthew T Rader · CC BY-SA 4.0
Chankanaab Reef sits just offshore from Chankanaab National Park. Easy access and generally sheltered conditions make it a gentle reef dive, and its spread of depths gives guides several options for fitting the profile to the group.
Where it is and how deep
20.4449° N, 86.9957° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The reef spans roughly 10 to 20 m (33 to 65 ft). With the water generally sheltered, the dive is shaped by the guide on the day rather than by the current, choosing a shallower or a deeper line across that range to suit the divers in the group.
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.
Dive videos
Cozumel Chankanaab Reef 4k|30FPS · Fat Guys Scuba on YouTube
Sources
- Cozumel scuba diving dive sites — SSI
- OpenStreetMap geocoding (Chankanaab park) — OpenStreetMap
- Cozumel Scuba Diving Guide — Island Life Mexico
More dive sites in Cozumel
Drift
Reef sharks seen more often than anywhere else on Cozumel
A hull that was placed rather than lost, upright at 25 m
Cave & cavern
Sunlight streaking through a vaulted cavern ceiling
Wall
Coral gardens on the shelf, steep drops below to 27 m
Reef
Giant coral pinnacles cut with caves, tunnels and caverns
Mild current in a protected pocket, 9 to 15 m
Reef
Permit cruising over coral heads on open sand
Wall
A deep drop-off from 29 m with a large arch through the wall
Similar dives elsewhere
Coral heads standing 8 m off the sand, full of swim-throughs
Coral ridges in north-south lines with sand lanes between
Up to ten reef sharks over a 15 m patch reef
A coral-covered French anchor of the 1750s, hooked into the reef