Colorful Cozumel

Good Evening Everyone!  I’m BAAAAAACK!!!!!  Did you miss me?  We were diving in Cozumel, Mexico.  Cozumel is small island about 25 miles southeast from the shores of Cancun.  Cozumel is our absolute favorite place to dive (dive pictures will come later.  I still have to download them).  It is the northern part of the same reef system as Belize and Roatan, Honduras.  The name Cozumel derives from the Mayan word Cuzamil, meaning land of the swallows.  Rumor has it that both Isla Mujueres (Women’s Island) and Cozumel were the first part of Mexico discovered by the Spanish Conquistadores, back in the 16th Century.  Back when the Mayans ruled supreme in Central America, Cozumel became an important seaport for Mayan trade because it was well positioned in the middle of routes to and from Honduras and Veracruz.  In the 17th century, Cozumel became the land of the pirates due to its isolation.  Other than the pirates and the Mayan women who visited the island to pray to the fertility Gods, Cozumel was relatively uninhabited until 1848, when settlers from the mainland sought refuge there from the Caste War, a fierce war that broke out when the Mayas decided to avenge the wrongs inflicted on them and their lands by the Spanish.  Up until 1961, Cozumel was then just known as a quiet little island for fisherman, but in 1961, the world was introduced to the underwater life of the island by Jacques Cousteau.  From that point on, Cozumel has been a scuba divers mecca.  We dive all over the world, and hands down, by far, Cozumel is our favorite place to dive.  Part of the reason for the attraction to the divers of the world is because the island quickly realized how valuable the sea and marine life was, and made most of the under water portion of the island as a marine park that preserves the wild creatures and fauna from the seas.  You can look and enjoy to your hearts content, but DON’T touch!  Life is very colorful in Cozumel, whether you are above the sea or beneath it.  It is filled with rich culture and traditions.

The still sea plays a very important role to the locals.  It is still the primary source of income for a large majority of the local inhabitants.  A healthy marine life is vital to a prosperous life to all who live on Cozumel.  Cozumel is also one of the most heavily traveled areas in the world by cruise ships.  The number of cruise ships range from 0 on Sundays to up to 10 per day during the rest of the week.

Tourism is the number one industry of the island.  1000’s of tourists visit the island every day.  Some just want to shop, some want to drink and party, and a vast majority want to scuba dive.