Cozumel 2009

Reva and I had the privilege of vacationing in one of our favorite places in all the world, Cozumel, Mexico. Our thanks to David Hammer, owner of Casa Martillo (www.cozumelcondos.biz) and Apple Applegate, proprietor of Dive Paradise (http://www.diveparadise.com/) for making this a week to remember. Of course we'd be remiss if we didn't give a big thank you to Julio, our dive-master extraordinaire. We've been diving with Julio for five years now and highly recommend him if you're headed to Cozumel. Fifteen dives in seven days yielded many mediocre photographs, some that are okay, and a few that turned out pretty good. We hope you enjoy looking at them as much as we did taking them. All were taken with a Canon SD1200IS with built in flash.

Here we are at Popeye's. The best shrimp cocktail on the island.

We're on the windward side of the island. Check out the sign.
Can you find the sea horse hiding at Villa Blanca Reef?
The sponge is coming back beautifully at Santa Rosa Wall.
Here's a Lion Fish. They are said to be taking over the reefs and if not controlled quickly they will wipe out all reef fish. They are not indigenous to the Caribbean and have no real predators there. They've been brought in via the ballasts of cargo ships and dumped. All dive-masters are now carrying plastic bags and trying to catch them. They are poison, so you can't touch them. Julio says he is saving them to make ceveche for his mother-in-law!
Seascape at the French Lady Reef

Beautiful Color on Delilah Reef

More color at Columbia Deep Reef

Look closely or you may miss the file fish at the top of San Francisco Wall.

A Red Hind blends in with the sponge and coral on Santa Rosa Wall.

Splendid Toad Fish found only on the reefs of Cozumel.

This one was found at the San Francisco Wall.
Spotted Drum Fish (adult) at Punta Tuniche (Rocky Point) Reef.

Spotted Eagle Ray gliding over the sands next to Palancar Bricks Reef.

Queen Angel Fish on Palancar Bricks Reef.

I think this may be a type of Rabbit Fish, but not sure. Anyone out there who recognizes it, please let me know. Photo was taken on the French Lady Reef.

The "Deadliest Catch" Nice Crab on Columbia Shallows Reef.

Turtle on Columbia Shallows Reef

Beautiful Sponge at Columbia Deep

Reva's favorite fish. A Squirrel Fish. "They're so ugly, they're cute," she says.

Long Nose Sea Horse on the sands beside Tormentos Reef. Very unusual to see them out in the open like this.

One Eyed Butterfly Fish on Tormentos Reef

Black & White Spotted Moray Eel on Tormentos Reef