Playa del Carmen - The Shining Star of the Riviera Maya (Part 3)

By John Flanders, Master Instructor / Instructor Trainer
Maxden Regalado, GeoFish Dive Center, Playa del Carmen
January 13, 2009 - Posted to AcademyOfScuba.com
jflanders@academyofscuba.com

Playa del Carmen offers more diversity than just about any other dive destination in the world.  One day, you are drift diving along the northern section of the second largest barrier reef in the world.  The next day, you are entering the underwater realm of the Mayan Cenotes.  Today, you are loading up at the dive shop to head out on a wreck dive on the Mama Vina.
The dive boat is circling a single spot in the ocean.  It’s looking for the perfect launching point to gently place all the divers in a comfortable position to dive to the wreck. You get the go ahead from the boat captain to deploy.  As you back roll in, you think to yourself, that was a lot better than the first day.  You pop your head to the surface, give the first mate a big “OK”, find your buddy and begin your descent. The current is a little stronger than the first day, however still very manageable.  Looks like the conveyor belt is going to take you right to the wreck. No kicks needed.  As you drift down as fast as your drift to the north, a giant shadow appears to loom in the distance.  As you get closer, the shadow takes on a shape that looks like an old trawler.  It’s the Mama Vina.

Your Divemaster is already at the sand on the starboard side.  He’s showing a couple of divers a Moray Eel he found tucked under the hull.  You’re in 90+ feet of water and looking up at this behemoth wreck and think to yourself … Wow, it’s in pretty good shape for being a wreck.

Your Divemaster guides you around the port side.  The current is almost nothing over here, and you like that.  As you ease up the side of the wreck, watching your ascent rate, several large openings, probably windows at one time are calling to you.  The Divemaster, goes to the back of the boat and enters into the room as you peer through one of the windows on the port side and pull your way through.  There’s plenty of room for you and your dive comrades in the room.  At one point, this was probably a large salon where the crew came to work or eat.  There’s a lot of light with no need for a flashlight.  As all the other divers filter in, you feel like the paparazzi have entered the wreck. Flash cameras going off every five seconds.  To avoid a good case of spotty vision, you look out the starboard windows.  A giant barracuda is looking in at everyone.  You wonder who is in the fishbowl now. While curious, the barracuda keeps his distance.

As you drift around the salon looking in all the crevaces hoping to find some pirate treasure, you start towards the door to the bridge.  It’s a bit smaller and a lot darker in there.  So you throw on your backup light clipped to your BCD.  It helps a little. If nothing else it comforts your dive buddy who fears what may lurk inside.  You drift into the bridge area and find a beautiful school of Jacks.  The Jacks find their way out before you do.  However, you use your light to peer into the captain’s private cubby holes.  Nothing but some early developing reef.  The Mama Vina is serving its new eternal purpose.
You make your way out the front opening and find youself on the foredeck.  You line all your buddies up along the railing to take a group picture.  You start swimming out into the current to get a good position.  That current is a little stronger than you think.  The picture isn’t magazine quality, but will look good on your blog nonetheless. As you look upward, there is another level.  All of you enter through the front window, which is as large as any door ever was.

As you look around this level, you check your air.  You are at 75 feet and still have about ½ a tank.  This room is the biggest thus far.  You chuckle into your regulator as you think of the parties you could have thrown on this barge.  The entire group starts heading towards the back. Drifting around the room and heading to the rear deck, you find both your bottom time and air starting to run low.  There’s a line to the surface.  A quick “thumbs up” to your buddy and an acknowledgement back and the two of you start up the line, slowly and observing an extra long safety stop, for the surface

The Mama Vina is a signature dive site for Playa del Carmen.  A must do for everyone’s site list. It’s been an amazing three days of diving.  You only have two left, before it is time to go home.  There’s so much to experience – a week doesn’t seem possible to experience it all.  Will you head out on a shark dive?  In the summer months, you can snorkel with the whale sharks to the north.  Perhaps, Playa del Carmen will become your “perennial dive vacation”. Playa del Carmen offers more for less. Playa del Carmen is truly an adventure of a lifetime.  

Want to dive the Riviera Maya? Geofish Dive is one of the best dive shops in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. We operate smaller boats and specialize in giving guests an exceptional level of personal attention. We offer scuba diving trips to 16 local reefs, 11 fresh water caves (cenotes), the dives of Cozumel and personalized diving tours for groups. We also offer daily guided snorkeling tours to our favorite shallow reef for those who aren't scuba divers, yet. Let us guide you on your Mayan Dive Adventure!

Contact us at
info@geofishdive.com or jflanders@academyofscuba.com

Bull Sharks
In the winter months starting in the middle of November until around February the spectacular Carcharhinus Leucas or Bull Shark graces the waters of Playa del Carmen with its presence. The Bull sharks are usually found in the deeper depths around 80-100 ft (24-30meters), but can be found in waters as shallow as 55 ft (16meters). The first time you see these powerful and graceful animals in their natural habitat it is truly a sight that you will never forget. The Bull sharks are around 7-11.5ft (2-3.5meters) with the females being much larger than the males. There are certain places that the Bull sharks can be found regularly such as, just past Jardines reef in about 85ft (26meters) of water, Moche Deep and Chunzumbul wall in about 90ft (27.5 meters) and lastly the Cantil at around 120-130ft (36-40meters). The first thing people think when they hear about Bull Sharks is Discovery Channel. They think about how Bull sharks are at the top of the list of most dangerous shark due to its large size and ability to swim in fresh water. But what most people don’t know is that Bull sharks attack shallow murky water. These Bull sharks in Playa are in 80+ feet of water and in visibility of over 60 feet. Many people come to dive Playa to experience the amazing experience that is Bull Shark season, when it is done safely and under a professionals watchful eye it could be the most amazing experience of your life.

Depth you see the Sharks: 55-130 feet
Visibility: 50 - 120 feet
Boat ride: Varies

GEOFISH DOES NOT CONDONE NOR PRACTICE SHARK FEEDING AT ANY TIME