Cenote Kukulcan - Cozumel
Gili Anyaran, often called the Sunken Island, is one of those places we love for its sheer quirkiness. It's not a wreck in the traditional sense, more like a drowned landmass between Gili Gede and Gili Layar that just barely breaks the surface at low tide. We’ve found the max depth around 20m, but it’s the character of the place that makes it special. What you’ll find is a landscape of large, broken coral structures and seagrass beds, particularly thalassia and cymodocea, that have become home to some seriously cool stuff. We’ve seen a good number of turtles here, often munching on the seagrass. Keep an eye out for lionfish and scorpionfish tucked into the crevices, and the nudibranchs here are surprisingly diverse; we’ve spotted some real beauties. The currents can pick up a bit, so it's a drift sometimes, but the 16m average visibility usually gives you plenty of time to take it all in. It’s a site for divers who appreciate the subtle beauty of a natural reef taking back something from the land, not for those chasing big pelagics, though we have seen the occasional barracuda cruising by.
- Location
- Cozumel, Mexico, North America
- Coordinates
- 20.512900, -87.247000
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Caribe Mexicano
Best Time to Dive in Cozumel
The warmest water temperatures in Cozumel occur in September, averaging 29.8°C (up to 32.1°C). The coolest conditions are in February at 26.9°C.
The calmest sea conditions are typically in September with average wave heights of 0.70m. Average current speed: 95.0 cm/s.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.2°C (air: 26.2°C)
- February: 26.9°C (air: 26.4°C)
- March: 27.0°C (air: 26.5°C)
- April: 27.5°C (air: 27.4°C)
- May: 28.4°C (air: 28.2°C)
- June: 29.0°C (air: 28.8°C)
- July: 29.4°C (air: 29.4°C)
- August: 29.6°C (air: 29.5°C)
- September: 29.8°C (air: 29.5°C)
- October: 29.6°C (air: 29.0°C)
- November: 28.8°C (air: 27.9°C)
- December: 27.9°C (air: 26.8°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Cozumel
- Agua Negra Cozumel (reef)
- Agua Negra Cozumel (reef)
- AGUSTIN MELGAR - 13m (wreck)
- Akumal Dive Shop
- Amancay Freediving
- Aristos
- Bajo de Molas
- Bandera - 15-30m (reef)
- Barco Hundido - Wreck Cadete Juan Escutia C-56 (reef)
- Barco Hundido - Wreck Cadete Juan Escutia C-56 (wreck)
- Barracuda - Cozumel (drift)
- Barracuda - Cozumel (reef)
- Barracuda - Playa del Carmen (reef)
- Barracuda - Playa del Carmen (reef)
- Barracuda Point
Nearest Dive Centres to Cenote Kukulcan
- Abyss
- ACTUNPRO
- AGUA CLARA DIVING - PADI, SSI
- Akumal Dive Adventures
- Akumal Dive Shop
- Aldora Divers - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Cozumel
Home to 181 recorded species including 140 reef fish, 15 hard corals, 9 other, 7 sharks & rays, 3 seagrass & algae, 2 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum) - Seagrass & Algae
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Spiny Brittle Star (Ophiocoma echinata)
- Reticulated brittle star (Ophionereis reticulata)
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Harlequin Brittle Star (Ophioderma appressum)
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
- manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme) - Seagrass & Algae
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Hamlet (Gymnothorax moringa) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Black Moray (Gymnothorax funebris) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Cenote Kukulcan
Based on average water temperature of 28.4°C, visibility 23 nmi, currents 87 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins (stiff blade recommended for strong currents)
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories