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Palancar Horseshoe

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Palancar Horseshoe dive site is a natural amphitheater in Palancar reef that resembles a giant horseshoe. The top of the reef is about 9 meters (30 feet) deep. This U-shaped reef is usually dived as an 18-24 meters (60-80 feet) multi-level drift dive.

The stars of the dive site are the corals, sponges, and the large gorgonian sea fans. The corals form tall towers, spires, gullies, and canyons. There are many swim-throughs to explore.

The dive site is not that rich with fish. Some of the more common sea creatures divers can spot here include grunts, snappers, damselfish, bar jacks, parrotfish, sea turtles, and nurse sharks.

The horseshoe is pretty sheltered from current, but they can be some strong current outside of it. The average visibility is good, exceeding 20 meters/60 feet.

Dive site info provided by Jack D. on Sep 27, 2019
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Excellent!!! We did our dive with Dressel Divers out of Ibero Star Hotel. Experience level. Intermediate. You can go as deep as you want and make this an advanced dive.... Excellent!!! We did our dive with Dressel Divers out of Ibero Star Hotel. Experience level. Intermediate. You can go as deep as you want and make this an advanced dive. This dive is similar to the other Palancar dives. Palancar Horseshoe gets its name from the shape of its large, natural u-shpaed amphitheater which can be seen from the surface. Although this is classified as a deep dive, the dive is usually done as a multi level drift dive and ends about 25' deep on the top of the reef. The reef slopes outward to the reef edge and deeply convoluted lip. The corals form tall towers, spires and buttresses, Horseshoe, gullies and canyons. Deep fissures run under the corals and sand slopes plummet into the depths. There are many swim throughs that are fun to explore. This reef is not rich with fish by Cozumel standards. The coral and sponges are the big show here. However, if you look closely you may spot a Butter, Indigo Hamlet, Shy Hamlet, a Red Spotted Hawkfish, in the lettuce or finger coral towards the top of the reef. On any reef in Cozumel you can see any fish or animal at a given time.
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