What experience level is required for a cenote cavern tour near Cancun?

Most cenote cavern tours near Cancun are for certified Open Water divers with recent dives and solid buoyancy. Comfort with neutral trim, calm breathing, and gentle overheads is more important than deep credentials. If it has been a while since your last dive, a quick reef tune up before cenote cavern diving is recommended.

What is the difference between cavern rules and full cave diving limits?

Cavern tours stay in the daylight zone, follow a continuous guideline, and use conservative gas rules within recreational depth limits. Full cave diving goes beyond daylight, uses complex line systems, and requires specialized training and equipment. Cenote tours for visitors are run as cavern dives, not full cave penetrations.

Which gear is included for cenote caverns and do I need a primary light?

Core scuba gear such as BCD, regulator, tanks, weights, and wetsuit is typically included for cenote cavern tours. Each diver uses a primary light and a backup light, and guides carry additional lights. Many divers bring their own mask and computer for familiarity, but a dedicated primary light is always required in overhead environments.

What is the typical water temperature and exposure suit for cenotes near Cancun?

Cenote water around Cancun usually sits around 24 to 25 degrees Celsius, in the mid seventies Fahrenheit. Most divers choose a 5 mm full wetsuit and many add a hooded vest for longer profiles. Gloves are generally avoided to protect delicate rock and formations.

How are gas planning and turn points managed in cenote cavern zones?

Cavern dives use conservative gas planning, often based on the rule of thirds or stricter. The guide explains starting pressure, turn pressure, and exit pressure before the dive, then calls the turn with extra reserve so exits stay relaxed. Overhead environments use stricter gas margins than open water drifts.

Are cenotes a good addition to a multi day dive package with reef and Cozumel?

Yes. Cenote cavern days fit well between local reef dives and a Cozumel wall day. Many divers start with reef dives to tune buoyancy, add a cenote day for a calm overhead experience, then visit Cozumel for drifts and walls. Planning no fly time and rest days keeps the whole week varied but not exhausting.

Some marine life favorites & how to identify them

mantadiversoffice
Sep 12, 2021
3 min read

Updated: Oct 13

Scuba diving and snorkeling introduce you to a world full of weird and wonderful inhabitants. You’ll find a variety of creatures dazzling the reef; maybe one in particular stands out, and you can’t wait to surface and discuss what you saw with your dive buddies. After the dive, you ask, “Wow, guys, did you see that yellow fish?!” … Ummmm… Perhaps it’s time to brush up on your identification skills.

The Manta Team is fortunate enough to dive the Mesoamerican reef every day. In this blog, we share a small selection of marine life members we see every day, whilst providing distinguishing features so you can identify them on your next dive or snorkel with us!

Angelfish

Characterized by disk-shaped bodies and small mouths.

Grey Angelfish (pictured below) are often seen swimming around the reef in pairs. Please don't confuse them with the French Angelfish, which look very similar except for strong yellow markings over the face and body.

Grunts

They congregate in large groups and are characterized by sloping heads/tapered bodies. French grunt: yellow stripes to a blue/white background Small mouth grunt: elongated body, yellow tail, and 5-6 yellow stripes

White grunts: stripes only on head, checkered pattern of yellow & blueish silver

School of Grunts — French, small-mouth, and white grunts are all pictured here. Can you distinguish between these species?

Damselfish

If it's small and feisty, it could be a damsel! These guys have small, oval-shaped bodies and are very energetic, often darting back and forth over the reef. Common damselfish in the area include Bicolor damselfish (pictured below - notice the body has two distinct colors) and Yellow Tail Damselfish (similar body shape, but with a bright yellow tail, a dark body plus brilliant blue spots.

Sergeant Major

Yellow and blue with five black body bars. Typically, they swim in large groups mid-water, making them a favorite for snorkelers. Fun fact: male sergeant majors turn dark blue/purple when courting or guarding eggs (they are also more aggressive during this time!)

Sargent Major fish in the reef — Sergeant Majors

Next up we have some "odd-shaped swimmers"

The Smooth Trunkfish

Dark with white spots, honeycomb markings on the center of the body. You'll see them blowing water jets into the sand, searching for food using it's snout-like mouth.

Sharp-nosed Puffer

Despite its small size (2-3.5 inches), this one manages to stand out from the crowd with bright blue markings from nose to tail, which cover a darkish/gold body.

Turtle time

Commonly sighted turtles in the area are Hawksbill turtles and Green turtles - easily distinguishable once you have some tricks.

Diver Swimming with Turtle — Hawksbill turtle

The easiest way to differentiate between the Hawksbill and Green turtles is to look closely at their mouths. Hawksbill turtles have a beak-like mouth, with the upper jaw extending further than the lower jaw. As you can see from the pictures above, this is not the case with the Green turtle, who have a closed mouth and a smaller, rounder head.

Of course, we see a wide variety of marine life on our dive and snorkel tours, most of which are not pictured here. Look out for our next marine life post for more.

Don't forget to leave a comment with your favorite!

For more marine life photos and up-to-date Manta info, please follow us on Instagram - @mantadiverscancun

Thanks for reading,

The Manta Team