Missing All Our Mexican Friends!

 _______________________________________________________________________

It's been 2 years ... we booked and cancelled 3 times before finally being successful on our 4th attempt this season. Originally we had planned on a 2 month stay but in the end only managed 3 weeks. 

We had fabulous weather, stayed at a couple of different places, reconnected with some of our favourite US and Mexican friends in and underwater and at a couple of 'new to us' restaurants, snorkelled some too.

For more information click the blue links.

________________________________________________________________________

Here are just a few of the folks that have consistently, over the years; made our stay on this friendly island memorable ... they are Journeymakers.

' Journeymakers  are those people who elevate your travel experience with the passion and enthusiasm for the place they call home and for the interest and kindness they give you, the traveller. '

Servers @ Wyndham Hotel Cozumel: Cornelio (l), Manuel (r)
... both have been here as long as we've been coming to the Island.

Gustavo ... a proud padre; often shows us the latest photos of his familia

Daniel ... 'mas vinto tinto amigo?'

Chefs @ Wyndham Hotel Cozumel: Luis & Jose
... Jose always smiles, sneaks me fresh guacamole from the kitchen and does some pretty impressive grilled fish tacos.

    

Smiley at the helm of Sonador " Dreamer"
... one of the BEST fast-boat captain on the island; never lost a diver!

Divemaster Jose was with us on most dives this trip ... been around for a long time; started as a SCUBA gear repair technician, knows how to 'save a dive'.

_______________________________________________________________

In my initial blog post, I neglected to mention a couple of other friends that have helped Helen and I over the years; camera just not handy all the time. They are also Journeymakers!

Omar (Padre orgulloso, DM & Instructor extraodinaire - many new divers request him to get certified) and Julian (Padre orgulloso, Front Office Dive Schedular - keeps the operation running smoothly) ... " realmente me disculpo por eso."

Omar

Julian

_____________

RESTAURANTES

My gawd!, the selection of 'traditional' Mexican cuisine on the Island of Cozumel is truely outstanding. Here's a link to a FB group founded by our good friend Paulina (that's her middle right) ... Whats On The Menu Cozumel ... ENJOY!

" ... traditional Mexican cuisine was inscribed in 2010 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. "

La Cocay

La Cocay

Top > Bottom Right: Leon, Paulina, Israel 

Bottom > Top Left: Mark, Dann, Helen

Novena Ola

Avacado Soup ... yummy; we'll be making this at home

Rolandi's Restaurante

_________________________________________________________________________

Underwater watermarked photography by dive buddy Mark Hall-Speights. (stock photos noted)

Profile photo

Loggerhead Turtle (stock photo)

Coral Spawning (stock photo)

Once a year, on cues from the lunar cycle and the water temperature, entire colonies of coral reefs simultaneously release their tiny eggs and sperm, called gametes, into the ocean. The phenomenon brings to mind an underwater blizzard with billions of colorful flakes cascading in white, yellow, red, and orange.

In ways that scientists still do not fully understand, mature corals release their gametes all at the same time. This synchrony is crucial, because the gametes of most coral species are viable for only a few hours. The “blizzard” makes it more likely that fertilization will occur.  

The gametes, full of fatty substances called lipids, rise slowly to the ocean surface, where the process of fertilization begins.

When a coral egg and sperm join together as an embryo, they develop into a coral larva, called a planula. Planulae float in the ocean, some for days and some for weeks, before dropping to the ocean floor. Then, depending on seafloor conditions, the planulae may attach to the substrate and grow into a new coral colony at the slow rate of about .4 inches a year. (Source: NOAA)

Eagle Ray hunting (stock photo)

Even though this is not a photo from our diving session, I felt it needed to be included.

It's unusual to witness this event and we were quite fortunate; this is only the second time I have seen this. We had 2 of the rays near us for maybe 8-10 minutes near the end of our dive and up to the start of our ascent. The larger of the two had a wing span of nearly 6 feet. They cruise close to the sandy bottom and use their snouts like shovels to pound the sandy bottom and excavate unfortunate creatures (usually conch). They bite down and shatter the shells, pieces of debris escape their jaws and an audience of smaller fishes quickly collect the morsels. A privelage to watch.

Lobster

French Grunt

Ocean Triggerfish

Barracuda

The critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle w. Remora on shell

Parrotfish

A bunch of small and medium sized blue and yellow fishes ...
Whitespotted Filefish and Queen Angelfish

Skatefish

French Angelfish

___________________________________

Snorkelling from Sunset Beach at Playa Blanca

Paulina

Israel

Helen

Dann

Here's a short Snorkelling Video ... click the link. 

The flat structures at about the 1:07 mark are where I was planting coral as one of the requirements for the PADI Specialty Certification in 2020 ... "Coral Reef Conservation".

 

______________________

" nos vemos la proxima vez "

_________________________________________________________________________

  

We're not LOAFin Around  this trip ... we're Kanoe Tripping

  

For all photos from this trip see the Trip156 gallery.

Unless noted, all content is ours.

Cameras

On Land by LOAFin Around: Nikon Coolpix P610 & Iphone 11

Underwater SCUBA Photography by Mark Hall-Speights: Iphone 13/Sealine case

Snorkelling Photography and Video by Pau A.M & Israel Rivera

________________________________________________________________________