Book your next Dive Course – SSI Course & Event Calendar

Explore beginner to instructor courses, community events, and global dive trips. Immerse yourself in a world of discovery and unforgettable experiences with our SSI course and event calendar.

Find upcoming course dates

SSI - Your choice for certification

Discover the magical underwater world of Mexico

The Pacific ocean to the West side, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean to the other side, make Mexico a dream destination for divers worldwide. Explore the freshwater cave systems of the cenotes, go cage diving with great white sharks or discover the wild, untamed Pacific ocean - Mexico offers a very diverse range of dive sites for beginner to expert divers. Some of the best dive spots include the cenote ’sistema dos ojos’, Guadalupe island or the Southern tip of Baja California.

Los Arcos

A place with a lot of current, suitable only for, advanced or experienced divers. For this dive site it is ideal to have the NITROX certification to make the most of it, even if one or two dives are required to visit all the corners of this place.

Learn more

Cerebros

The coral formations of this site are certainly true to its name (Cerrebros, meaning brains in Spanish). Brains and mountain-style corals decorate your entire dive, and with a quantity and variety of marine ife that you will always want to repeat diving here!

Learn more

Cenote Dos Ojos

Dos Ojos is one of, if not THE, most popular cenote in Mexico. Diving cenotes, in general, are for advanced and technical divers. This cenote has two different routes, hence the name Dos Ojos, or two eyes.

Learn more

Paradise Reef

One of the most popular dive sites in Cozumel, Paradise Reef is actually three separate patch reefs running parallel to shore and is accessible by both shore and boat. This is one of the few good shore-accessible dive sites on the island. Max depth is 45 feet so this is a good site for beginners and snorkelers.

Learn more

Mahahual Reef

Mahahual Reef sits on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second-largest reef system in the world and boasts crystal clear water, healthy coral, colorful sponges, and tons of reef life.

Learn more

Santa Rosa Wall

The Santa Rosa Wall is one of the most famous wall dives in the world. This dive is for advanced divers as the wall drops away to hundreds of feet deep. it is easy to get pretty deep pretty fast so watch your gauges. This dive is also a drift dive but there are also lots of fun swim-throughs to explore as well.

Learn more

Yucab Reef

Being a shallower reef, Yucab is a very popular second dive for many of the Cozumel dive charters. The reef is very colorful and healthy with lots of hard coral species and huge barrel sponges. There is usually a strong current here so this is always done as a drift dive.

Learn more

Palancar Gardens

One of the most popular dive sites on the island of Cozumel, Palancar Gardens starts over a shallow reef at 33 feet and then drops off as a mini wall to over 130 feet. There are many fun caverns and swim-throughs to explore. The reef is very healthy, the vis is spectacular, and marine life is abundant.

Learn more

Discover the world’s most fascinating aquatic life

Aquatic life under our oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams is amazing! From microscopic zooplankton to the largest animal on earth, the blue whale, underwater life comes in all possible shapes and sizes. With 71% of the earth being covered with water, it is no wonder we are so fascinated with what lies beneath the surface. In fact, scientists estimate that there are nearly 1 million different species of aquatic animals. Freshwater ecosystems are home mainly to fish, invertebrates, and reptiles, whereas the ocean contains a wide array of marine life including fish, mollusks, crustaceans, reptiles, sharks, and marine mammals like whales, dolphins, seals, and manatees.

Spinner Dolphin

One of the most acrobatic dolphin species, the spinner dolphin is famous for its acrobatic displays, specifically the way in which it spins multiple times longways as it jumps through the air. They are commonly spotted racing alongside boats and are a beautiful, exciting site to see. These agile mammals are among the smallest of the dolphins and are found in tropical waters all around the world. The largest populations seem to be near Thailand, the Central American Pacific coast, and the Hawaiian Islands.

Learn more

Nurse Shark

Leading a humble, sedentary lifestyle, the nurse shark may not be the most thrilling shark to dive with in the sea, but it is by far one of the most common. This dusty brown, robust animal is a very popular sighting amongst the coral reefs of the Caribbean and is mostly distributed in the eastern Pacific Ocean, along the coast of the Americas, the eastern Atlantic Ocean, and the western Atlantic Ocean along the coast of Africa.

Learn more

Stingrays

With over 500 different species of rays identified, this group of cartilaginous fish are more varied then their cousin the shark. Stingrays derive their name from their long, skinny tails, many of which have poisonous stingers used for self-defense. Due to these predominant stingers, please take caution when diving or walking through waters with stingrays. As long as you keep a safe distance, you can experience beautiful dives with them. They are mostly found on the seabed where they hide under the sand and feed on fish, crabs, worms, snails, and other mollusks.

Learn more

Hawksbill Turtle

Often times considered the most beautiful of all sea turtle species with it’s mottled, colorful shell, the hawksbill sea turtle is one of the smaller species. These graceful creatures are the most tropical of all the turtles and can be found mainly on coral reefs throughout the warmest areas of the world’s oceans. They use their narrow, pointed beak (hence their name) to eat an omnivorous diet, feeding on sponges, sea anemones, and jellyfish.

Learn more

Moray Eel

One of the most fascinating fish on the reef, moray eels come in nearly every size and color from the tiny, bright blue ribbon eel, the smallest averaging only 25 cm long, to the black speckled giant moray which can grow up to 4 meters in length! In fact, there are nearly 200 different species. Most morays are marine dwelling fish, but several species have been seen in brackish water, and just a few are found in fresh water. They are clearly distinguishable from the other reef fish with their long, slithering bodies, pointy snouts full of sharp teeth, and long dorsal fins that run the entire length of their bodies. No matter the species, these animals are always an exciting site to see while scuba diving.

Learn more

Angelfish

Not to be confused with the freshwater angelfish of the Amazon Basin, marine angelfish are brilliantly colored and live on the warm, shallow water reefs of the Atlantic, Indian, and western Pacific Oceans. This beautiful family of reef fish consists of about 86 different species, the most well-known being queen, king, french, royal, and grey angelfish. With their large, laterally compressed bodies, small, up-turned mouths, and bright colors, they are hard to miss and a favorite sighting for most divers.

Learn more

Butterfly Fish

There are nearly 130 different species of marine butterflyfish all living in the tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. These beautiful, small fish are known for swimming in monogamous pairs but can sometimes be seen in large schools. Like their larger cousin, the angelfish, they are a favorite sighting for scuba divers and snorkelers due to their beautiful, bright coloration and striking patterns. Another distinguishing characteristic is the eyespots many species have on their flanks to trick predators, similar to those found on butterfly’s wings.

Learn more

Lionfish

Lionfish are native to Indo-Pacific waters and are usually found hiding under ledges or in shallow caves at depths between 2 and 60 meters. They are diurnal, meanings they hunt both during the day and at night but often stay hidden until sunset to avoid predators. Unfortunately, lionfish have become an invasive species in the western Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. In fact, despite their menacing beauty, lionfish have become a huge problem in the Caribbean as their population has spread tremendously in just a single decade. In fact, the Science Channel has claimed they are “one of the most aggressively invasive species on the planet.” These flashy predators are considered fairly aggressive and harmful to humans so take caution when diving with lionfish and keep a safe distance.

Learn more

Check out incredible moments water enthusiasts like you experience every day with SSI

Did you just complete an SSI certification? Proudly post it! Want to support your favorite SSI Training Center and promote it to the world? Post it! Did you just have an unforgettable dive experience with your SSI Professional? Post it!

We love to see the SSI family growing day by day: so upload your photo to Instagram with #wearessi or #divessi or mention @ssi_international, and it will automatically appear in the SSI Hall of Fame. We can’t wait to see your adventures today!

Discover the wonders of the deep with SSI's blog

Join us on an exciting journey of discovery and learn more about exhilarating diving adventures, dedicated conservation initiatives, and innovative educational opportunities that will help you illuminate the extraordinary beauty of the underwater world. Let's explore the underwater world together and delve into the hidden wonders beneath the gentle waves.