Though Mexico and Central America are not normally considered part of the Caribbean, their eastern coastlines border the Caribbean Sea. And, considering this area offers some fantastic underwater adventures, it has to be included in any discussion of Caribbean diving.

YUCATAN
At the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula lies the fabled vacation area known as the Mayan Riviera. Encompassing the mainland resort town of Cancun, this area offers some spectacular diving off Isla Contoy, Isla Mujeres and larger Cozumel. Farther down the coast, near the border with Belize, lie the famed Chinchorro Banks. Although not that well known, there is some good diving just offshore Cancun, where colorful reef fish congregate over small walls in the Bahia de Mujeres. Not far from Cancun, both Isla Contoy, and Isla Mujeres have their own specialties. Brain corals are common off Contoy and Mujeres is known for its caves, which often harbor sleeping Nurse Sharks. Cozumel is a divers’ Eden, with most of the experiences being drift dives of one sort or another. These same currents are the reason marine life abounds here. The multitude of individual dive sites offer everything from large fish, such as Barracuda, jacks and sharks, to expanses of coral formations, to sheltered lagoons, to wrecks, to steep drop-offs. Numerous dive sites follow the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan, and there is freshwater diving at inland cenotes. However, some of the best, and most often overlooked, diving is at the coral atoll of Chinchorro Banks. Here there are fantastic sites both on the outside and inside of the barrier reef. In addition to magnificent sponges, corals and reef fish, encounters with open ocean species, including sea turtles and dolphins, are common.

BELIZE
Bordering the Mexican Yucatan is the small country of Belize, and there is magnificent diving off its shores at the famed locales of Ambergris Caye, the Turneffe Islands, Lighthouse Reef and Glover’s Reef. The myriad dive sites off Ambergris Caye feature fantastic coral formations, swim-throughs, tunnels and caverns, heavy concentrations of invertebrates and tropicals and encounters with sharks and rays. Hol Chan Marine Reserve protects the area off the southern tip of Ambergris. The Turneffe Islands are a coral atoll with hundreds of mangrove-covered islets. These support massive concentrations of marine life of all types. Farther out from Turneffe, Lighthouse Reef has its own fantastic marine ecosystem, with the added feature of a huge blue hole. Glover’s Reef atoll offers one of the greatest varieties of reef species found anywhere in the Caribbean, and a marine reserve ensures things will stay that way.

BAY ISLANDS OF HONDURAS
The giant barrier reef system that begins off the tip of the Yucatan reaches its southern end in the Bay of Honduras. The incredible diving in this area is located around the Bay Islands of Utila, Roatan, Barbareta, Guanaja and the Cayos Cochinos. Utila diving is truly virgin, with reefs featuring coral formations and gardens. Elkhorn and Black Corals are a highlight. Whale Sharks are often encountered here. Roatan is the largest and most famous of the Bay Islands. Along both coasts, sharply defined terrain is emphasized, with fissures, drops, ledges and overhangs. There are wrecks and impressive marine creatures of all kinds. Barbareta highlights include wall diving, with a dramatic scarp suddenly plunging to nearly unfathomable depths. In the sport diving zone, there are Black Corals, towers, multitudes of reef fish and pelagics. Guanaja also has its impressive drop-offs, but has shallower reefs inshore as well. There are cave and tunnel formations and several notable wrecks. The Cayos Cochinos offer pristine fringing reefs and deeper sites that have only recently become known to divers. As with the other prime offshore sites in the Central American area, the Bay Islands are visited by dedicated live-aboard dive boats.