Cozumel · Mexico · Reef · Wall
Palancar Horseshoe
Coral heads rising from 30 m to within 6 m of the surface
Area photo: Matthew T Rader · CC BY-SA 4.0
A horseshoe-shaped notch cut into the wall of Palancar Reef, filled with large coral heads and giant barrel sponges. Tightly packed coral rises from around 30 metres to within 6 metres of the surface, so the site is dived multi-level between roughly 8 and 38 metres. Slow currents and long visibility make it one of Cozumel's busiest deep dives.
Where it is and how deep
20.3277° N, 87.0271° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is a notch in the Palancar wall, shaped like a horseshoe, and the dive is built around getting inside it. A series of tightly packed giant coral heads rise off the bottom at around 30 metres and come up to about 6 metres below the surface, so the whole vertical range of the site is in front of you at once rather than spread along a reef line.
Most of the depth is taken early, down among the bases of the coral heads and the giant barrel sponges growing off them, before the profile steps up through the structure towards the shallow tops. Currents here usually run slow, which is unusual for the island and is half the reason the site is busy: groups can hold position and work the gaps between coral heads instead of being pushed past them. Visibility stays around 60 metres at minimum.
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.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Palancar Horseshoe?+
It is dived multi-level between about 8 and 38 metres. The coral heads rise from roughly 30 metres to within 6 metres of the surface, so the shallow end of the profile is spent among their tops.
Sources
- Palancar Horseshoe dive site — Scuba Du
- Palancar Horseshoe — Scubago
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