Huatulco

Diving here is a day-boat affair. Three PADI centres work the coast. Hurricane Divers runs from the Santa Cruz Marina, 5 to 25 minutes from the sites of Huatulco National Park; Huatulco Dive Center runs every trip on its own 10-metre boat (33 ft), the Mako; and Anfibios Huatulco runs night dives and courses, with the confined-water part of its discovery dives at a pool or at La Entrega reef. In high winds the marinas close and the boats stay in.

The coast has nine bays, and the national park takes in the western ones, from Maguey to San Agustín. On this Pacific side of Mexico the bottom is mostly rock, zigzagging formations and canyons carrying patches of hard and soft coral, and most of that coral died in the marine heat wave of 2023. Moray eels, lobsters, octopus, sea turtles and several kinds of ray live among the rocks. Spotted eagle rays are among the regulars, and 70 eagle rays were once seen together at La Montosa, where nurse and whitetip sharks also turn up. Hammerheads have been seen at Tapesco, and seahorses live on a sandy beginner area.

Coral plates sit in the first 12 m (40 ft) and the deeper reef dives average 18–21 m (60–70 ft), and sheltered sites such as Riscalillo Reef suit every level, so the coast works well for newer divers and for courses. Experienced divers with a deep specialty have The Point, which drops to 40 m (130 ft) and holds red snapper and amberjacks. Anyone travelling mainly for coral cover should weigh the 2023 die-off, and mantas and whale sharks, possible from May to November, are luck rather than a plan.