Snorkel Costa Maya, Mahahual, Punta Placer

Activities > Snorkel Costa Maya
One of the most memorable activities that people take with them when they go back home is snorkeling off Punta Placer and other Costa Maya locations. All of the Costa Maya has wonderful snorkeling, but there's no better place to stay than Mayan Beach garden where you can snorkel right from the beach. We think the snorkeling here is so fabulous it should be set aside as a national park and environmentally protected. Marcia goes out most afternoons and is happy to show guests of Mayan Beach Garden the best places to snorkel.		Boat Snorkel tours (sponsored by Costa Maya Tours, local Costa Maya operators)
The variety of fish is unparalleled. It sometimes feels like you are swimming in a giant tropical fish bowl. I believe the fish pictured at the right are French Grunt, Haemulon flavolineatum, but are referred to locally as Yellow tail. They are very common and sometimes congregate in large schools. (Fish you might see are listed at the bottom of this web page):	Photo taken by Heidi Hamm
	The coral off the Costa Maya is still healthy, alive and growing. In the shallow waters are some of the largest Elk horn coral with healthy ochre colored branches and Brain coral you will ever see. (Coral you might see are listed at the bottom of this web page -- includes links to several photos):
Large coral heads with a vast variety of coral delight the snorkeler. The depth of the ocean floor ranges from two feet to about 15 feet deep, as in this picture. Marcia is already on her way to see a giant brain coral. It is not uncommon to see huge specimens 14-15 feet high.
Sea creatures you will see snorkeling in and around Punta Placer: Angle Fish (Variety) Arrow Blenny Barracuda Basslet Schools of Blue Tang Butterflyfish Cowfish Damselfish Doctorfish Electric Ray Glassy sweeper Goatfish Grunts (Variety) Hamlet Hogfish Needlefish Parrot Fish (variety) Peacock Flounder Pinfish Pipefish Puffer Porgy Scorpion Fish Scrawled Filefish Sea Urchins Sergeant Major Skates Squid Squirrelfish Southern Ray Spotted Eagle Ray Stingrays Snake Eels Snapper (Variety) Lane Snapper Tarpon Trunkfish Trumpetfish Turtle Loggerhead Green Ridley	Coral you will see in and around Punta Placer Black Coral (Variety) Brain Coral (Variety) Boulder Star Coral, including Flat Plate Morphotype Corky Sea Finger Elkhorn Coral Finger Coral (Variety) Fire Coral Hairnet Black Coral Lettuce Coral (Variety) Mustard Hill Coral Pillar coral Scroll Coral Sea Fans (Variety) Sea Plumes Sea Rods (Variety) Sheet coral (Variety) Staghorn Coral, Fused Staghorn Star Coral (Variety) Starlet Coral Sunray Lettuce Coral Thin Finger Coral (Porites divaricata) Corky Sea Finger (Briareum asbestinum) Black Sea Rods (Plexaura homomalia) Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) Sergeant Major ( Abudefduf saxatilis) photo by Kevin Kutterer
Blue Finger coral, photo by Kevin Kutterer Juvenile Damsel fish,photo by Kevin Kutterer Lane Snapper Lutjanus synagris (I think!) photo by Kevin Kutterer Brain Coral, photo by Kevin Kutterer
Home \| Activities \| Mayan Ruins \| Accommodations \| Travel Info \| Costa Maya \| Recipes \| Contact Us Frequently asked questions \| About us \| Site Map \| Links Copyright MMB Inc. and MMBKIM updated 20-Apr-2008