Cozumel · Mexico · Reef
Colombia Shallows
Mild current in a protected pocket, 9 to 15 m
Area photo: Matthew T Rader · CC BY-SA 4.0
The shallow counterpart to Colombia Deep, sitting in a protected, bay-like pocket where the current stays mild instead of running like the rest of the island. Depths of roughly 9 to 15 metres make for long bottom times, and the site is rated a beginner one: open-water training, refresher classes and first dives all suit it.
Also known as Colombia Shallow.
Where it is and how deep
20.3200° N, 87.0242° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
This is the one dive in the Colombia complex that asks very little of you. Depths run between about 9 and 15 metres, the site sits in a protected, bay-like pocket, and the current is mild rather than the drift the rest of the island is built around, so a group can hold position and work the reef at its own pace instead of being carried along it.
That combination is what makes it a training site: open-water students, new divers and update classes all suit it, and the shallow profile leaves long bottom times to spend on a reef with plenty of marine life to fill them. It is also dived less often than the reefs closer to town, because boats taking beginners out rarely run this far south.
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.
Know before you go
- Cool fresh water from the nearby Colombia Lagoon can cut visibility well below the 45 to 60 metres normally expected in Cozumel, so keep the group close rather than relying on long sightlines.
Questions divers ask
Is Colombia Shallows good for beginners?+
Yes, it is rated a beginner site: 9 to 15 metres, mild current in a protected bay-like area, and long bottom times, which is why open-water courses and refresher classes suit it. Boats taking beginners do not often run this far south, though.
Sources
- Colombia Shallow dive site — Scuba Du
- Colombia Shallows — Scubago
More dive sites in Cozumel
Reef
A multi-level drift through tunnels in the deeper Palancar reef
Reef
Relaxed shallow drift with nurse sharks and turtles
Splendid toadfish, nurse sharks and turtles along the coral
Coral heads rising from 30 m to within 6 m of the surface
Reef
Swim-throughs at several depths with usually mild current
Reef
Giant coral pinnacles cut with caves, tunnels and caverns
Wall
A deep drop-off from 29 m with a large arch through the wall
The Cathedral cave sits in the same block of reef as the throat
Similar dives elsewhere
A small coral island with a vertical wall, to 19 m
Green and hawksbill turtles over seagrass by the Blue Lagoon
Reef
Kariwak Reef
Tobago · Trinidad and Tobago
A sheltered shore reef off Store Bay used for training and night dives
Coral ridges in north-south lines with sand lanes between