Cozumel Marine Life: Species Guide

Cozumel's Own Fish

The splendid toadfish is found nowhere else on earth. It lives under ledges on Cozumel's reefs and nowhere in the wider Caribbean, which makes it the single most distinctive animal on the island's species list — see the splendid toadfish guide.

Cozumel's two seasonal shark headliners have their own guides: bull shark season and whale shark season. For sea turtles, see where to see them and swimming with Cozumel sea turtles.

Rules That Apply To Every Animal On This List

The Cozumel Reefs National Park has been protected since 1996, and the rules are not decorative:

• Nothing gets touched. Not coral, not turtles, not starfish, not sleeping sharks.
• Nothing gets taken. No shells, no coral, no lobster, no conch.
• Nothing gets fed. Feeding changes behaviour permanently and is the cause of most moray bites on divers.
• Gloves are restricted in the marine park, precisely because they make touching easy.
• Reef-safe sunscreen only, or none.

Buoyancy is the real conservation tool. Most reef damage is not malicious — it is a fin kick from a diver who was looking at a fish.

Where To Go From Here

Pick the reef rather than the animal: the Cozumel dive sites guide lists all 42 sites with depths, currents and what each is known for. If you are still working out when to come, start with planning your Cozumel dive trip, or the guide to the best Cozumel dive sites for marine life.