Cozumel 2012 - On Land

As amazing as the ocean is....the topside isn't too bad either.  Below are a few of the highlights!

How about those snappers?!

Roger

Pepe

Triathlete

Lemonade

Cozumel 2012 - Day 7

What a treat this day turned out to be!!  We woke up early and decided  to wing over to the other side of the island to see if we could catch some other birds.  Wow - Heron city!  If you want to see more - check out www.cherylawarren.com/index.htm.

Then we got quickly got ready to dive and headed to the pier.  We splashed in and started our dive....all of the sudden there was a pack of 7 - YES 7!!!!!  Black tip reef sharks.  They were swimming fast and whipping around to see us as we swam to see them.  OMG - was that exciting!!

After they took off we were just catching our breath when two eagle rays came along.  They were curious and hung out with us for about 5 minutes!  WOW!!!  That was amazing!!  And then there was a free swimming nurse shark.  That is a rare site indeed because usually they are curled up sleeping under a ledge.  He swam right between John and I.

We think it was Cozumel's way of saying - glad you came and see you next year!  Spectacular!!

black tip reef shark

Eagle Ray - see his mouth?

Nurse Shark coming!!  See Cheri in the corner?

Nurse Shark

Cozueml 2012 - Day 6

Diving.......We were treated to schools of Jacks and mantis shrimp on this day.  It's pretty rare to see one mantis shrimp yet we saw two!!

And finally - a picture of the two of us underwater!

Cozumel 2012 - Day 5

And more diving - making new friends - and learning to make guacamole!!  Pepe makes literally the best guacamole on the planet!!  And now I know how too!

After diving we drove around the back side of the island and snagged some more bird images!

Pepe and Ute

Grouper

Cozumel 2012 - Day 4

More diving - Yippee!!!!  Even though it was pouring rain - the diving was AMAZING!  We dove and dove and it felt like on every dive that nature was taking it up a notch.  We saw so many wonderful things and had such a good time with our friends!  The seahorses are back!!  The eagle rays are in!!  And life is everywhere just waiting to be seen!  Thanks to our dive guide extraordinaire - Roger - we saw all of these animals!

While it was dismal on top below the sea....yipeee!

fire worm

moray eel

scenic undersea view

Cheri Cat fish

Eagle Ray

turtle

angelfish

seahorse!!

Cozumel 2012 - Day 3

We awoke on this morning - to the sight of calmer waters and BOATS!  Yeah!!  Diving was going to be a reality on this day.  We assembled our gear - cameras included and got ready.  One thing about Mexico....the time schedule is +- 30-45 minutes from the time arranged.  The pace slows and its best not to fight it.  That said - on our first day we are on the dock ahead of the scheduled pickup and about 45 minutes later the Deep Exposure boat arrived!  It was great to see our friends - Pepe - Geovani -  Volker - and of course Roger our dive guide!!  Hugs and kisses all around.

Then it was off to the reefs.  Wow - things are even better than before.  Somehow Wilma did her worst and yet ended up pruning the reefs and revitalizing the area.  The fish life and the reefs are healthier than ever!

Enjoy!
John & Cheri

Cozumel 2012 - Day 2

We went to bed dreaming of the first day of diving only to awake to a stiff North wind and a sinking feeling.  The "Nortes" or "El Norte" are the north winds and they close the port every time.  When they blow in - there is no diving.  We got breakfast ready and watched for boats....no boats appeared and when we could no longer deny the facts - we made a new plan for the day!

After all - the sun was shining and we had our big cameras!  After loading the car with water - sunscreen - cameras - we were off on an adventure!  And what an adventure it turned out to be.

We have always wanted to see different kinds of hummingbirds.  We are often treated to the Ruby Throats in the Northeast.  Another goal has been to see them and get pictures of them in the wild and drinking from flowers.  Jackpot!!

Not only were we treated to this gorgeous little bird....we also saw more wildlife than ever before on this island!  As we were standing watching for the hummingbird a little pig appeared in the bush before Cheri.  After sniffing the air he disappeared back into the bush only to re-emerge and cross the road!

We had a blast!!!

Enjoy!
Cheri & John

Cozumel 2012 - Day 1

We arrived on Cozumel and felt as though we had never been gone!  It was as vibrant as ever and the island was gearing up for the Ironman triathlon. 

We got our car got checked in and immediately headed for the wild side of the island.  The ocean was calm the sun was shining and Coconuts was calling!  We arrived in time for a gorgeous sunset and a quick snack before we headed into town to show our dive cards and get ready for a week of fun under the sea!