Mahahual (Costa Maya) · Mexico · Reef · Sand slope
Chinchorrito
Coral bommies from 15 to 24 m, with eagle rays and garden eels
Area photo: Juan Ortega · CC BY 3.0
Chinchorrito is the most northerly of Mahahual's dive sites: wide sandbanks dotted with hills of reef, where large coral bommies run from about 15 m down to around 24 m. Turtles, eagle rays, morays and garden eels can all be seen here, which makes it a good site for spotting bigger animals.
Where it is and how deep
18.7200° N, 87.6972° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The reef dive begins at about 15 m (50 ft), where large coral formations, the bommies, rise from wide sandbanks and descend to around 24 m (80 ft). Life concentrates on these hills of reef, and turtles, eagle rays, morays and garden eels are all seen at the site, between the hills of reef and the wide sandbanks around them.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Eagle rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Mahahual (Costa Maya): Diving runs all year. The sea is calmest from June to early September; on rough days the port closes and boats stay in.
Dive videos
"Chinchorrito", Reef. Diving in Mahahual, QRoo. · Miguel A. on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Chinchorrito in Mahahual?+
The dive starts at about 15 m (50 ft) and the coral bommies descend to around 24 m (80 ft).
What marine life is seen at Chinchorrito?+
Turtles, eagle rays, morays and garden eels are all seen here, on a site of reef hills set in wide sandbanks.
Sources
- Chinchorrito dive site — Scubago
- Diving in Mahahual — Pepe Dive Mahahual
More dive sites in Mahahual (Costa Maya)
Wall
Canyons through the reef, five minutes from the fishermen's dock
Reef
Reef passages to 17 m with parrotfish, angelfish and the Caguama turtle
Reef
Reef fish crowd a shallow reef to 13 m, and manatees pass a few times a year
Wall
Reef walls and sandbanks at 14–23 m, known for visibility
Reef
Nurse sharks and big stingrays in deep cracks in the reef
Reef
Coral islands on flat sand between 9 and 15 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Green and hawksbill turtles over seagrass by the Blue Lagoon
Rays and turtles in the sandy shallows
Taganga's main training ground, with a deeper wall close by
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A bronze mermaid and a landing-craft wreck on one shore dive