Drift
down to 15 m
Banderas
Drift dive over a 12 m reef off Isla Mujeres where barracuda, scorpionfish, sea turtles and spotted morays are listed.
- Open Water
- Turtles
Cancún & Isla Mujeres
Diving in Mexico
11 documented dive sites, 5 of them for Open Water divers. Known for whale sharks, manta rays and nurse sharks.
- Best months
- Nov–Feb, Jun–Sep
- Water
- 24–30 °C
- Levels
- Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
- Nearest airport
- CUN
When to go
Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.
Pick a month
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Cancún & Isla Mujeres in October
Good season- Sea
- 29 °C
- at the surface
- Air
- 30 °C
- 24 °C at night
- Rain
- 130 mm
- one of the wettest months
- Wind
- 11 km/h
- on average
The warmest water of the year.
Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.
The operator describes Cancún as a year-round destination (no month shown below good). Best months per the same source: Nov–Feb (eagle ray migration at C-58) and Jun–Sep (whale sharks; snorkel-only encounter). Mar–May and Oct are shown as good (no specific highlight sourced; turtle mating at Punta Sur May–June and Manta Valley late Sep–Oct are niche). No source consulted describes hurricane-season or 'nortes' disruption, so none is reflected.
Dive sites in Cancún & Isla Mujeres
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
Open Water friendly
usual dive down to 18 m5 sitesReef
down to 16 m
Manchones Reef
- Open Water
- Turtles
Artificial reef
down to 10 m
MUSA Underwater Museum (Salón Manchones)
- Open Water
- Nurse sharks
For Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m4 sitesWreck
down to 30 m
C-58 Wreck (General Pedro María Anaya)
Former US minesweeper Harlequin, scuttled off Cancún in two pieces, where eagle rays shelter during winter.
- Advanced
- Eagle rays
Drift
down to 21 m
Punta Negra
Drift reef off Isla Mujeres where Carey Dive Center lists eagle rays, reef sharks and stingrays.
- Advanced
- Reef sharks
Drift
down to 17 m
Punta Sur (South Point) Turtle Drift
- Advanced
- Dolphins
Drift
down to 21 m
Sleeping Shark Cave (Cueva de los Tiburones Dormidos)
- Advanced
- Reef sharks
For experienced divers
usual dive down to 40 m2 sitesMarine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whale sharksSource: solobuceo.com | ||||||||||||
| TurtlesSource: careydivecenter.com | ||||||||||||
| Eagle raysSource: solobuceo.com | ||||||||||||
| Manta raysSource: diveislamujeres.com | ||||||||||||
| SailfishSource: solobuceo.com | ||||||||||||
| Silky sharksSource: solobuceo.com |
- Peak season
- Seen
Whale sharks: May–Sep. Turtles: May–Jun. Eagle rays: Nov–Feb. Manta rays: May–Sep. Sailfish: Nov–Mar. Silky sharks: All year
Also reported here, season not documented yet:
- Nurse sharks
- Stingrays
- Barracuda
- Octopus
- Scorpionfish
- Groupers
- Moray eels
- Snappers
- Reef sharks
- Dolphins
Where is Cancún & Isla Mujeres?
- Nearest airport
- CUN
Somewhere quieter?
Cancún & Isla Mujeres is one of the busiest dive hubs in the world. These destinations dive in a similar way and see far fewer divers: Grenada, Fernando de Noronha and Utila.
See all alternatives to Cancún & Isla Mujeres →Cancún & Isla Mujeres: frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive Cancún & Isla Mujeres?
- The best months to dive Cancún & Isla Mujeres are Nov–Feb, Jun–Sep. The operator describes Cancún as a year-round destination (no month shown below good). Best months per the same source: Nov–Feb (eagle ray migration at C-58) and Jun–Sep (whale sharks; snorkel-only encounter). Mar–May and Oct are shown as good (no specific highlight sourced; turtle mating at Punta Sur May–June and Manta Valley late Sep–Oct are niche). No source consulted describes hurricane-season or 'nortes' disruption, so none is reflected.
- Is Cancún & Isla Mujeres good for beginner divers?
- Yes, partly: 5 of the 11 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Banderas, El Grampín and La Herradura. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
- What is the water temperature in Cancún & Isla Mujeres?
- The water is usually between 24 °C and 30 °C over the year.
- What marine life can you see in Cancún & Isla Mujeres?
- Divers regularly see whale sharks (May–Sep), turtles (May–Jun), eagle rays (Nov–Feb), manta rays (May–Sep), nurse sharks and stingrays.
- How do you dive Cancún & Isla Mujeres?
- The nearest airport is CUN.
About this page
Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.
Your next dive is somewhere out there.
Find my next dive tripPhoto credits
- Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash