Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve
Banco Chinchorro is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that protects a diverse array of habitats - from mangrove forests to sandy bottoms to vibrant coral reefs. The national park is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including American crocodiles, manatees, sharks, turtles, rays, and abundant reef fish. There are over 150 species of coral and 500 species of fish to see in the reserve. Pelagic species such as snapper, grouper, and jack patrol the outer walls. Chinchorro often provides crystal clear water with visibility up to 30 meters. In addition to sea life, shipwrecks dot the reserve. Visiting Banco Chinchorro is an adventure you will not want to miss while in Costa Maya.
Banco Chinchorro is one of the best-preserved coral reef ecosystems in the country due to its distance from the coast. It takes an hour to an hour and a half to get to Banco Chinchorro, depending on the weather, and at least six divers are needed to make the trip. It is always helpful to have some flexibility when visiting Chinchorro, as we try to pick days with the best diving conditions. If you have a small group, we can coordinate with other divers for an amazing day of diving and exploration.
Please contact us for special promotional pricing for groups, local residents, and low-season specials. We want to create packages that serve you.
A Day in
Chinchorro
Base Price
(MXN)
Description
Three Tank Day
$4000 + National Park Fee
Our experienced captain will transport you to the best dive sites Chinchorro has to offer. The day will start around 7:30 and end around 3:30. Includes three dives, equipment if needed, snacks, lunch, and, of course, our professional dive guides.
Two Tank Day
National Park Tour
$4200 + National Park Fee
Two dives at Banco Chinchorro with included equipment, snacks, and lunch. You will also visit the island and have a chance to see the local crocodiles and ecology. This day also starts at 7:30 and ends around 3:30.
Snorkeling Package
$2400 + National Park Fee
Our snorkeling guide will accompany you to three snorkeling sites. All equipment is included, as are snacks and lunch. We may also have space for snorkelers on our national park days ($200 MXN additional cost). This day starts at 7:30 and ends around 3:30.
Chinchorro Packages
Base Price
(MXN)
Description
Two Day Package
$5500 + National Park Fee
One day (3 tanks) at Banco Chinchorro plus an additional day diving (2 tanks) along the local Mahahual Reef
Three Day Package
$8500 + National Park Fee
Two days of diving at Banco Chinchorro plus one day of diving along the Mahahual reef. If you prefer to visit the island one day in Banco Chinchorro, we can arrange that for an additional $200 MXN.
Four Plus Day Packages
Custom Pricing
We offer custom pricing for packages of four or more days. You decide what you would like to do and we will arrange a package for you.
The national park fee for Banco Chinchorro Biosphere Reserve is $360 pesos for Mexican residents and $725 for international visitors.
Please contact us for special promotional pricing for groups, local residents, and low-season specials. We want to create packages that serve you.
Banco Chinchorro Sites
This is a particularly special dive for shark lovers. Usually, two or three nurse sharks approach divers on their descent and will stay with the group for the duration of the dive; a fantastic opportunity to get a really good look at these fascinating creatures. The dive starts in a sandy area heading south over the reef, which is split into three different sections. The shallow and deep sections are equally impressive, with huge yellow sponges and schools of jacks and sardines. You'll also likely see groupers, blue parrotfish, and turtles. The sandy areas between the reef's different parts give the sharks a chance to gather, which is a perfect time to get great photos of them.
Cam’s playground is a small barrier reef teeming with marine life and offering superb visibility year-round. The site is now known for its nurse sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, large groupers, and vast schools of colorful reef fish. We usually start the dive from south to north, gliding slowly through the vibrant coral gardens. Because the reef sections are compact and full of life, a relaxed pace lets you take in every detail of the brilliant coral formations and the bustling aquatic life that surrounds you.
This shipwreck, a Spanish galleon, was delayed leaving port, and the navigator failed to see the atoll in the pitch-black conditions. Their fate was sealed when they ran aground in Chinchorro in 1648, leaving 36 scattered across the ocean floor. This shipwreck is part of the underwater museum at Banco Chinchorro, and there are very few places in the world where diving these archaeological sites is allowed. The maximum depth is eight meters, with an average of just five meters, making the visibility again fantastic. East of the wreck is a beautiful coral garden brimming with tropical reef fish, which divers always enjoy exploring after the wreck.
Located north-east of Cayo Centro, this shipwreck was once a 19th-century Danish steamboat. This huge vessel ran aground in Banco Chinchorro in 1955. It's easily the best shipwreck to explore in the area due to the size and the number of artifacts, as well as the beauty of the surrounding reef. Diving this site, you'll find yourself surrounded by majestic industrial underwater scenery inhabited by snappers, parrotfish, and hogfish. Eagle rays and nurse sharks are frequent visitors to the area, and sometimes we find blacktips here.
At the Queen of the South, drift through more than a kilometer of colorful coral gardens. There are barrel sponges and an incredible amount of marine life to enjoy, including hawksbill, green, and loggerhead turtles. There are schools of sardines which are amazing to watch as they dance and shimmer in the light, always on the lookout for predators such as jacks and tarpons. You might spot huge black groupers lurking in the shadows, as well as nurse and reef sharks cruising around the rock formations.
This is a beautiful wall dive that starts shallow, giving divers a chance to get adjusted and enjoy watching the huge conch in the sand. At the deepest part of the wall, smaller creatures are often found, such as crabs and shrimps. Groupers and parrotfish swim among beautiful coral formations. The reef is swarming with schools of both juvenile and adult reef fish, and divers also have a good chance of seeing nurse sharks, turtles, and barracudas.
Right in front of Cayo Centro, the main landmass of Banco Chinchorro, is Punta Gonzalez. This is a highly diverse dive with depths ranging from 8 to 35 meters. The reef topography varies greatly, with some of the most beautiful coral formations in Chinchorro. Divers will swim over sandy areas, through canyons, past pinnacles, and along cracks in the reef. In the sheltered areas, a multitude of marine life hides out, and huge sponges and gorgonian fans flourish. Expect to see eagle rays, turtles, and nurse sharks on this unmissable dive.
For those who love the thrill of an amazing wall dive, Gran Muro is not to be missed. At Gran Muro, everything is a bit bigger than anywhere else in Chinchorro. Swim past enormous barrel sponges as well as beautiful giant yellow tube sponges, which grow to be thousands of years old. Expect nurse sharks, reef sharks, turtles, huge black groupers, lots of tiger and Nassau groupers, rays, snappers, and lobsters. Another highlight at Gran Muro is the huge schools of bonnet mouth and boga fish, which are truly incredible to see. These bait balls attract predators, including groupers, barracuda, trevally and horse-eye jacks.
Traverse between two different reefs - excellent for divers practicing navigation skills to see if they can stay on course from wall to pinnacle to wall again. The dive starts at a depth of 20-24 meters at the first reef, which boasts incredible coral and marine life. Swimming out into the depths over the sand, divers will soon notice a huge shadow growing bigger and bigger. Finally, a huge rock appears - a favorite resting place for rays and nurse sharks.
The nurse sharks are highly active and follow the divers around, approaching the group curiously and making gentle turns, so you can experience all their grace, strength, and beauty in a spectacular way. The reef is really healthy, and you can expect to encounter reef fish in all different colors, shapes, and sizes, as well as black groupers, hawksbill and green turtles, moray eels, and giant lobsters. A huge school of sardines hangs out on the third reef, which is quite a spectacle.
Policies:
1. Reservations will be confirmed in writing following receipt of a deposit.
2. Payments can be made via bank transfer, credit card, Wise, and PayPal. Further information will be provided upon booking. Credit card payments will incur a 4% service charge.
3. Cancellations due to port closure due to weather or at the discretion of our diving team will result in a 100% refund. Dive trips require a minimum number of participants. We do everything we can to avoid canceling dives due to a lack of participants. If we do need to cancel a dive, we will do our best to reschedule. If that is not possible, we will provide a 100% refund. Customer cancellation will result in the loss of payments made.
4. Divers must hold the appropriate certification for diving. Refunds are not provided if dives cannot be completed due to a lack of certification. If a diver does not comply with safety standards or national park regulations or is deemed unsafe, the dive guide can determine that they should not be allowed to dive.