Many people choose Playa del Carmen as a destination for their SCUBA diving trip, because of its central location in the Riviera Maya.
Located between Cancun and Tulum on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, Playa del Carmen counts with many beautiful dive sites that form part of the mesoamerican barrier reef. This reef is the second biggest barrier reef of the world, just after the great barrier reef in Australia.
One of the most beautiful dive sites off the coast is Jardines in Playa del Carmen.
In this blog we will explain everything about the dive site Jardines in Playa del Carmen, what to expect, requirements, and more.
Dive at Jardines in Playa del Carmen
When booking a dive day in Playa del Carmen you will typically have two different dives from a boat. The shallow dive sites like Jardines are too far to do a shore dive, but have a very short boat ride to arrive at the site.
Quick Info
Location
The dive site Jardines in Playa del Carmen is located right in front of the pier for the Cozumel ferry, about a 5 minutes boat ride from Coco beach. Most of the diving boats leave from this spot in Playa, making it a short ride to arrive at the dive site.
Depth
The maximum depth you can achieve during this dive is 13 meters (45 ft). Jardines dive site in Playa del Carmen stretches from a depth of 7-8 meters to approximately 12-13 meters depth. Our average depth during this dive is about 9-10 meters.
Dive Time
As the dive at Jardines in Playa del Carmen is fairly shallow, our dive time here can be around 45-60 minutes. Always depending on your air consumption and our NDL during the dive, most dives last around 50+ minutes.
Dive Site Conformation
Jardines in Playa del Carmen is a fairly shallow reef, featuring a coral-filled platform and small wall towards the sand. It’s living up to its name being decorated by countless different corals. Under the small crevices of the reef structure you may find moray eels, crabs and other critters.
There’s a point at the reef where you’ll encounter huge schools of fish. You can find porcupine fish, trumpetfish, french grunts and others hanging out just over the corals.
Requirements
To dive at Jardines dive site you have to have an open water diver certification. Another option to dive at this site is to participate in a discovery scuba dive. It’s shallow depth makes it perfect for any diver, certified or not. Many courses and refresher dives take place here, as it’s beautiful and interesting for divers. Also its clear border to the sand is perfect for performing exercises during a course or finding your buoyancy without damaging the reef.
What to Expect From A Dive at Jardines in Playa del Carmen?
Generally all SCUBA diving tours in Playa del Carmen include two different dives. Mostly Jardines is the first of two shallow dives, or the second of a deep and a shallow dive.
Also when diving at the Bull Shark Point, it’s likely you will visit Jardines dive site as a second dive. It’s close to the Shark dive and opens a slight chance to see some more sharks during the season.
Dive Profile
When arriving at the dive site you’ll prepare for getting in the water and descend. At a depth of approximately 8 meters we begin the dive.
Usually we follow the reef structure along the sandy border to accommodate everyone’s buoyancy at first. Then we start swimming over the reef, crossing between the sandy border and the inner parts of the reef to find critters, fish and the most interesting reef inhabitants of Jardines in Playa del Carmen.
Marine Life
You can find lots of different species at Jardines reef. Small reef-rays, flounders, different fish, lobsters, king crabs, moray eels of different kinds, the occasional sting ray are just some of the regulars. When in season, chances are you get to see a spotted eagle ray, turtle, or even a bull shark gliding through the clear waters.
In the sandy areas you’re more likely to find rays, flounders, garden eels and hermit crabs.
Macro Life
There’s lots of macro-life to be discovered at Jardines dive site too. Flamingo tongue snails, arrow crabs, cleaner shrimps, blennies and other small reef-inhabitants are all over the reef. Hidden between corals are christmas-tree-worms and anemones, also you are likely to find some of the before mentioned.
As we get further along the reef the reef border builds up to a small wall. Take a look under, as there are moray eels and king crabs regularly hiding in the crevices and structures of the wall.
Diving in Playa del Carmen with Blue Life Diving
Whether you’re a seasoned or newer diver, Playa del Carmen’s dive sites are beautiful and interesting for anyone. You’ll see a bunch of marine life. Also there are shallower and deeper reefs, and suitable especially as a check-out dive. If you choose to book out ‘Taste of the Riviera Maya’-Package, you will have a day to enjoy two dive sites in Playa del Carmen.
There are several reefs in Playa del Carmen. Alongside Jardines you can dive at Moc-Che, Cueva del Pargo, Sabalos, Tortugas, Mama Viña, Pared Verde and many more. All of these feature a good amount of different marine species to encounter. The shallower reefs are around 8-12 meters deep, and the deeper dive sites in Playa del Carmen range around 25-35 meters depth.
If you’re in search of a dive center that covers all these dive sites, along with Cozumel dives and Cenote diving, look no further. Blue Life diving is located in Playa del Carmen. We offer single dive days, Cenote tours, packages and courses from beginner to cave diving. Get in touch to create a bespoke diving package and get more info on options.
We’re looking forward to having you dive with us!
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