Sea Fan in Cozumel
Common Sea Fan (*Gorgonia ventalina*) in Cozumel: how to identify it, why fans all face the same way, and what lives on them.
A flat purple mesh fan, always oriented across the current rather than along it, with a fine net-like structure.
Quick ID
| Scientific name | Gorgonia ventalina |
|---|---|
| Group | Soft Corals & Sea Fans |
| Typical size | Fans to 1.5 m across |
| Depth range | 2–25 m |
| When to see it | Year-round |
| Active | Polyps feed day and night |
| Conservation status | Least Concern |
| Notes | — |
Where You Will See It In Cozumel
Everywhere the current runs — Tormentos, Yucab, Paso del Cedral and the shallow reef tops.
Reliable sites: Tormentos, Yucab, Paso del Cedral.
Behaviour
A colonial soft coral that filters plankton from moving water, which is why every fan on a reef faces the same way. Host to flamingo tongue snails and, on many Cozumel reefs, to small brittle stars sheltering in the mesh.
Commonly Confused With
- Sea plume — Sea plumes are feathery and three-dimensional rather than a flat mesh.
- Sea rod — Sea rods are thick stiff branches without a mesh.
Diving Etiquette And Safety
Fragile and directly in the current line where divers get pushed. This is the animal most often broken by a diver who fails to control a drift.
Part of the Cozumel marine life guide · see Cozumel dive sites · plan your Cozumel dive trip