Cozumel: Qué Aventura

The recent Barnacle Buster club trip to Cozumel was an amazing adventure to say the least. The flight home was a rough return to reality and in stark contrast to the rest of the trip, but it didn’t matter. We were still flying high from diving in Cozumel.

Seven days earlier . . .

For Thomas and me, Cozumel was a series of firsts: first time to Cozumel, first night dive, first time swimming with an octopus, first time seeing a Splendid Toad Fish, first dive spotting a Seahorse, first fresh water dive, first time diving through caves . . . well, you get the point.

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We arrive in Cozumel and Buck has everything coordinated like a well-oiled machine. Everyone is excited as we get to the resort and settle into our rooms with amazing views of the ocean and gardens.

Thomas and I had perhaps the best view because it was several flights up. I learned quickly “escalera” doesn’t mean escalator. After a short briefing with the Dive Shop, some paper work completed and signed for the front desk, we were ready to jump in the water!

Scuba Club Cozumel has terrific shore diving: easy stairs in and out, great marine life, and it’s unlimited. We took advantage of the incredible shore diving on myriad occasions.

The days seemed to blend into one another. I rarely knew or cared what day of the week it was. Our routine typically started off with breakfast, followed by gathering our gear and jumping on the boat. The dives were primarily drift diving, ducking in and out of swim through openings in the reef, and always full of marine life.

 

Each dive we would seem to spot some new creature: juvenile Spotted Drum, Splendid Toadfish, enormous eels, sleeping nurse sharks, Barracuda, huge Parrotfish, Loggerhead turtles, you name it! Upon returning to shore, the afternoons were filled with lunch, getting into some adventure, and then meeting for happy hour before dinner.

Evenings were invariably a ritual of posting on social media the spectacular sunset we just witnessed and then lounging in a hammock. Or, in our case, gearing up and doing another night dive.

Toward the end of the trip I was grateful for all those stairs up to our room. The resort fed us three huge meals each day followed by dessert. Buck and Chris hosted a farewell party in their room, room number “Rum Punch.” It was a great way for all of us to get together and reminisce about some of the week’s antics and astounding events.

On the last day, Jarrett, Thomas and I went diving through Dos Ojos Cenotes. It was like swimming through an underwater version of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

The crystal clear fresh water was like looking through air. The formations and crazy structures were like no other I’ve dove. There were a few moments I’d have to mentally calm myself as we swam through some pretty tight tunnels and would be completely enclosed. But, then we’d pop out the other end and the splendor of the formations created by millions of years would catch my attention. It was a definite check off the bucket list.

I wish all my weeks could be like the week we had in Cozumel. Unfortunately, the reality is more like the flight home. Still, they say it’s better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all. I’ll take an uncomfortable flight home after an unbelievably incredible week of diving and perfect weather any time.