Cozumel has long been known as one of the best diving destinations in the world and for good reason. The warm, crystal clear waters of the Caribbean set on the world’s second largest reef make it an ideal place for beginner and veteran divers to experience life under the sea. Colorful tropical fish, incredible coral formations and a plethora of sea life, you’ll find yourself in another world at the bottom of the ocean!
My first dive experience in Cozumel
Dolphin Discovery Cozumel is now offering a unique opportunity, a swim with dolphins program like no other. The “Dive with Dolphins” program brings you to the undersea world to experience dolphins in a whole new way. I visited Cozumel last week and am thrilled to report that the program is truly out of this world!
Our group arrived in Cozumel’s Chankanaab Park bright and early, all of us excited and nervous. With eight in the group only two had ever been scuba diving before, the rest of us were restless with anticipation. We were just in time to catch the sea lion show, the silly antics of these funny creatures calmed our nerves and allowed us to relax a bit before our big adventure. Still laughing after the show, we made our way down the beach to the dive shop and got right to work learning the basics of scuba. The dive master was extremely knowledgeable and patient, explaining the ins and outs of the equipment and rules of scuba and answering all of our first-timer questions. The class lasted about an hour and then we were ready to get in our gear. Masks and flippers, weight belt, tanks and regulators in place, we made it down to the shore and into the sea. The dive master gave us a little test to see if we were able to clear our masks under water and take our regulator in and out. Passing the test at 3 meters, we started out for a little swim, descending further down to about 8 meters. We saw a huge barracuda right off the bat, some schools of tropical fish, conch and some rays, a great start! For my first time diving, I was ecstatic, I frequently snorkel but this was something completely different! We flippered towards the Dolphin Discovery piers, got out of the water and went for our final orientation. We were shown a brief video of what to expect in the dive with dolphins program and how to interact with the dolphins under the water. And then it was time for the big event, off we went to the docks, donned our gear once again and descended 10 meters down.
Our trainer Daniel introduced us to Titan, the alpha male dolphin in Cozumel. We knelt on the ocean floor while he greeted us all with a “swim by”, allowing us to stroke his smooth skin and say hello. He gave us a little show, doing some barrel rolls as he swam along, racing towards the surface and back down again. I’ve swum with dolphins many times, but this was a completely different way to see them, I couldn’t help but smile and laugh through my regulator. We heard Titan “singing” under the water in his unique signature whistle, I wished I could communicate with him in return. The dive master and Daniel guided us through the encounter, showing us the hand signals that would bring Titan to us for a kiss on the lips and one on the cheek. I was in love! Titan ended our time together by performing some spectacular leaps out of the water then crashing back down again, a sight I will never forget. We said good bye to our dolphin friend, leaving him to his own underwater world and made our way back to land.
Getting a kiss from Titan
The “Dive with Dolphins” program is perfect for anyone looking for a unique marine life encounter. No diving experience is needed, you will be given expert dive instruction and training. The minimum age for this program is 16 and it is not recommended for anyone with asthma, hypertension, epilepsy, respiratory problems or pregnant women. We recommend that you sleep well the night before, avoid alcohol before the program and eat a light breakfast. Get ready to fall in love under the sea, enjoy a real experience of a lifetime with “Dive with Dolphins” at Dolphin Discovery Cozumel!