|
In Isla Mujeres diving masks and scuba equipement were unknow until the arrival of the Lima family in the 1960's.
The islanders were very surprised to be able to see the fish, and the lobsters and the arrival of diving equipement changed their fishing methods and made fishing more profitable.
In the middle 1960, a young boy whose nick name is “valvula”, (valve) because of his incredible lung capacity, was diving and spearfishing large groupers in the caves that are east of isla mujeres in depths of 30 to 40 feet , when he came upon some tiger sharks laying on the floor of the caves and apparently sleeping.
 By that time mexico's foremost underwater photographer Ramon Bravo was living in isla mujeres and he listened to the tales of the sleeping sharks and went himself with his underewater cameras and took photos and films of the sharks.
He sent them to Washington to the Smithonian Institute and at first they argued it was a scam that the photos and films were a fake, but as he insisted, a woman marine biologist, expert in sharks, Doctor Clark came down to isla mujeres with much equipement and dedicated herself to investigating and to try to understand this phenomenon.
It seems that underground fresh water rivers that come from the peninsula of Yucatan, take fresh water to this caves and that is why sharks lie in the sand with their heads pointing into the current as a form of resting and cleaning their bodies.
Isla mujeres is the only place in the caribeean where this phenomenon has been found and proffesional divers can go and see this amazing sight of very big very dangerous sharks resting in the bottom of the caves in a state of dormant inactivity.
Later on, french commander Jaques Ives Costeau the inventor of the scuba equipement and famous oceanographer, came to isla mujeres with his ship the “calypso” and his family, and stayed for several weeks in the island with my father and Ramon Bravo he wanted to see and film the sleeping sharks caves but also the lobster migration that takes place in the winter months when thousands of adult lobsters, walk in the ground of the sea and come from the deep seas into the shallow waters of Contoy Island.
He stayed here for several weeks and we became great friends, up to now even if he died, I have a constant relationship with his son Jean Michel who now heads the Costeau Foundation.
 This explorations of natural happenings in the nearby waters of isla mujers, have brought many divers to the island.
Actually, isla mujeres has better diving than better known cozumel, who is world famous.
In isla mujeres the diversity of diving opportunities is much bigger than in cozumel, because we have several sunken ships, shallow and deep reefs, crystal clear waters, coral gardens, king mantas, sea turtles, dolphins and the beautiful multicolored tropical fish, besides, opportunities for professional divers like current diving and of course the caves of the sleeping sharks.
Very recently another marvelous natural phenomenon has brought attention to divers , the whale shark large family groups that gather north of isla mujeres, near contoy island and now the mexican govermente has issued limited permits for tourists to swim with them.
In our Scuba Packages Rates you will find the prices for these diving opportunities.
|
