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Marine life is rich in Cancun, filled with many different forms of sea creatures and nature. While snorkeling is a popular activity offered to tourists at attractive beaches, it is especially exciting in Cancun for a number of reasons. Whether it’s in the coastal Riveria Maya, an underwater museum, cenote, or a sea cave, here is what tourists can expect on their water-life adventure in Cancun.
Starfish
Known as ‘Estrella del Mar’ in spanish, starfish can be located all throughout the world, but are highly popular amidst Cancun’s breathtaking natural gardens and surroundings.
When snorkeling in Cancun, brightly coloured starfish crossing your path can be ensured. However, swimmers must remember it is prohibited to remove or touch any marine animal or object from the protected National Marine Park.
Whale Sharks and Manta Rays
These intimidating yet harmless creatures can be intimately observed when joining a whale shark tour through Cancun’s freshwaters. Although a giant manta ray can grow up to 9 mts, the gentle creatures can be easily observed and can enjoy them as they swim amongst the reefs of Cancun or lie dormant on the seabed.
Brightly Colored Fish
A variety of diverse fish can be expected to be seen when scuba diving or snorkeling in Cancun. The fish peacefully swim past snorkelers as they float close to the reef areas. Commonly witnessed fish include the blue striped grunts as well as trumpetfish, angelfish, yellow goatfish, and barracuda.
Nurse sharks
Unlike other sharks, nurse sharks are non-threatening as their diet consists of crustaceans and other fish mainly. Nurse sharks are a unique sight to see and can be witnessed often lying close to the coral reef. The nurse shares are usually nocturnal animals so a night dive in Cancun is a good decision for certified divers, in order to optimally witness the harmless creatures.
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