Dive Review of XTC Dive Center in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Xcalak

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XTC Dive Center: "Chinchorro Banks - salwater crocodiles!", Aug, 2022, by Kabir Teja (Dive Hard), FL, US ( Reviewer 5 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 12075.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	This was an expedition to dive with saltwater crocodiles; check out the full DIVE HARD trip report on YouTube: [youtu.be link] This is a unique trip, and it involves staying overnight in an offshore fisherman's hut in Chinchorro Banks. Before and after the crocodile portion, you can do some regular diving around Xcalak which has great reefs, large schools of tarpon and manatees. The crocodile experience is very cool and not something I would do in many places. However, these crocodiles are fairly docile and the visibility is quite good, which allows for relatively controlled interactions in 4 - 6 feet of water. The hut you sleep in is very basic with no running water or electricity - there are only two beds, so if your group is larger than 2 people, at least one person will need to sleep in the hammocks which aren't super comfortable. However, you don't do this trip to be pampered, and for getting close to saltwater crocodiles, there aren't many other options! The diving around Chinchorro is also quite good - similar to Cozumel but dived far less often (more people dive in Cozumel in one day than dive in Chinchorro in one year) - so the reefs are in much better shape. There are lots of nurse sharks and the coral is healthy. XTC is also a great dive shop - but note that Xcalak is in the middle of nowhere so the accommodations are basic and there is lots of rotting sargassum that makes the whole town of Xcalak stink. However, you get used to it quickly and I think that the diving is worth it. Highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to get close to crocodiles and come away with lost of good photos!
Websites	XTC Dive Center
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Lots of places! Eastern Pacific (Cocos, Malpelo, Galapagos, Socorro), Indonesia (Raja Ampat, Komodo, Lembeh, Bali), Philippines (Malapascua, Cebu, Dumaguete, Anilao), South Africa, Maldives, all over the Caribbean, etc.
Closest Airport	CUN	Getting There	Direct flight from NYC
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, rainy	Seas	calm, no currents
Water Temp	80-85°F / 27-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	70-100 Ft/ 21-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	Aside from Cuba, the best shots of saltwater crocs in the water come from Chinchorro. The crocs in Chinchorro are also much bigger than they are in the mangroves of Jardines de la Reina in Cuba. There aren't many camera facilities in the hut, but they do bring a generator so you can charge your batteries while out in Banco Chinchorro.

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Dive Review of XTC Dive Center in Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Xcalak

XTC Dive Center: "Chinchorro Banks - salwater crocodiles!", Aug, 2022,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of XTC Dive Center in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Xcalak