Four protected areas announced in Cancun

During COP 13 held in Cancun in December 2016 four new natural protected areas were declared by presidential decree. 

Now is more than 91 million hectares the total of land that have been desiganted for environmental conservation.  This area of the biosphere reserve of the Mexican Caribbean is half of the Mesoamerican reef system. 

The biosphere reserve of the Mexican Caribbean comprises the marine portion of the municipalities of Lazaro Cardenas, Isla Mujeres, Benito Juarez, Solidaridad, Puerto Morelos, Cozumel, Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Bacalar and Othon P. Blanco. 

Whit this new decree Mexico reaches 181 protected areas, almost 6 million hectares only in the Caribbean. The protected area is equivalent to the size of the state of Campeche. 

In Phantom Divers we are truly committed to the conservation of the environment so we are very excited about all this new protected areas in the caribbean.

An excellent video of the new protected area in Quintana Roo: Biosphere of the Mexican Caribbean. 

For this event we had the presence of Alejandro del Mazo Maza, commissioner of CONANMP, who is willing to collaborate with Saving Our Sharks in the management of the diving activity with the Bull Sharks, following the manual of good practices. 

 

Saving Our Sharks Bracelet

Every winter we receive a special visit in Playa del Carmen: The Bull Sharks.

During the bull shark season, every time that people go diving with the sharks, get a Saving Our Sharks bracelet. it's a donation of $5usd.

 
As many of us already know, the Saving Our Sharks association in Playa del Carmen is truly committed to the protection and conservation of the Bull Shark.This association has as main objectives the education, monitoring and tagging of sharks. This project helps to gather information to gain a better understanding of these species.

 SHARK TAGGING

There are two types of tagging for sharks:

•     Internal: requires capture, incision to insert and suture, later released.
•     External: It is applied with a spear gun.

The transmitters send a signal that has a receiving radius of 500m to 1km. The receiver is located in specific places to know if the observed sharks are the same as they have been seen in previous years.
20 receivers are currently installed along the Mexican Caribbean coast.

This activities are really important because it is necessary to continue collecting information for research purposes that will allow us to understand them and work with them for their protection. These studies require expensive equipment and materials so it is very important to donate.
With information from Saving Our Sharks.

An under water river, cenote MUYAL HA

CENOTE  MUYAL-HÁ

video

The cenotes are a very characteristic natural deep wells of Mexico, resulting from the collapse of limestone layers, exposing groundwater beneath them. They are filled with water and connected to a marine cavern.

Located at only 15 min. from Playa del Carmen; well hidden into the jungle there is Muyal Há cenote, perhaps one of the most unusual formations of its own unusual kind.

With a similar structure like Angelita cenote; this one has the special characteristic of being a deep well; where the seawater has a high amount of hifrogen sulfide and more evident opacity, and fresh water above this. It has the same appearance as a river surface. There are even trees and fallen leaves, which makes this cenote even more surreal.

This dive is as simple as diving in fresh water with very good visibility, directly to the bottom, untill about 26 meters where you start to appreciate the density of salt water and a large white cloud of sulfuric acid suspended in layers around a rock "island" in the middle and towards the deepest part; which gives an appearance of a " water river", underwater. 

Other important points of view in Muyal Ha, are clusters of huge stalactites, air bubbles, decorating walls and little caves you can find some old bones residents.

Don`t miss this special dive, only with PHANTOM DIVERS!

Underwater Comunication

UNDERWATER COMUNICATION

Diving allows an opportunity to be with our own thoughts and provides the peace necessary to stop and appreciate the natural beauty of the world around us.

Part of the underwater world’s charm is its relative silence, the opportunity that it gives us to escape from the incessant ringtones and alarms of life on land. That we can’t communicate as we usually do can also pose problems underwater. Your entry-level scuba course would have taught you basic hand signals to convey important messages underwater signals are the backbone of a recreational diver’s underwater communication, and the longer you dive, the more intricate and elaborate your repertoire will become.

This is a simply overview of some of the most commonly used underwater hand signs. 

The "Okay" Signal
The first hand signal that most scuba divers learn is the "Okay" hand signal. Is made by joining the thumb and index fingers to form a loop, and extending the third, fourth, and fifth fingers. This signal can be used as both a question and a response. The "Okay" signal is a "demand-response" signal, meaning that if one diver asks another diver if he is okay, he mustrespond with either an "Okay" signal or the communication that something is wrong. The "Okay" hand signal should not be confused with the "Thumbs-up" signal, which in scuba diving means "end the dive."

The "Not Okay" or "Problem" Signal
Scuba divers communicate a problem by extending a flattened hand and rotating it slowly side to side, similarly to how many people signal "so-so" in a normal conversation. A diver communicating a problem underwater should then point to the source of the problem using his index finger.

The most common use of the "Problem" hand signal is to communicate an ear equalization problem.

The "Up" or "End the Dive" Hand Signal
A "Thumbs-Up" sign in scuba diving communicates "Up" or "End the Dive". This should not be confused with the "Okay" signal. The "Up" signal is one of the most important signals in scuba diving. The Golden Rule of Scuba Diving states that any diver can end the dive at any point for any reason by using the "Up" signal. This important dive safety rule ensures that divers are not forced beyond their comfort level underwater.

The "Down" Hand Signal
The "Thumbs-Down" hand signal communicates "go down" or "descend" underwater. This signal should not be confused with the "not-okay" hand signal used to indicate a problem. The "Down" signal is used in the first step of the Five Point Descent, in which divers agree that they are prepared to begin the descent.

The "Stop" Hand Signal
Divers typically communicate "Stop" in one of two ways. The first method of communicating "Stop" (common in Recreational Diving) is to hold up a flat hand, palm forward, as shown in the left. Technical Divers, however, favor the "Hold" sign, shown on the right, made by extending a fist with the palm-side of the fist facing outwards. The "Hold" sign is a demand response signal; a diver who signals "Hold" to his buddies should receive a "Hold" sign in return, indicating that his buddies have understood the signal and agree to stop and hold their position until otherwise indicated.

The "Level Off" Hand Signal
The "Level Off" hand signal for scuba diving is use to communicate "remain at this depth" or "maintain this depth." The "Level Off" signal is most commonly used to communicate that divers have reached the planned maximum depth for a dive, or to communicate that divers should hold previously designated depth for a safety or decompression stop. The "Level Off" hand signal is made by extending a flattened hand, palm down, and slowly moving it side-to-side horizontally.

The "Buddy Up" or "Stay Together" Hand Signal
A diver places two index fingers side-by-side to indicate "Buddy-Up" or "Stay Together". Scuba diving instructors use this hand signal to remind student divers to stay close to their buddies. Divers also occasionally use this signal to reassign buddy teams underwater. For example, when two divers in a group are low-on-air and ready to ascend, they may communicate "we'll stay together and ascend" using the "Buddy Up" hand signal.

The "Safety Stop" Hand Signal
The "Safety Stop" hand signal is made by holding the "Level Off" signal (a flat hand) over three raised fingers. A diver is indicating "Level Off" for three minutes (signified by the three fingers), which is the minimum recommend time for a safety stop. The safety stop signal should be used on every dive to communicate within the dive team that the divers have reached the pre-determined safety stop depth and agree to maintain that depth for a minimum of three minutes.

The "Low-On-Air" Hand Signal
The "Low-On-Air" hand signal for scuba diving is made by placing a closed fist against the chest. In general, this hand signal is not used to indicate an emergency, but to communicate that a diver has reached the pre-determine tank pressure reserve for his dive. Once a diver communicates that he is "Low-On-Air," he and his buddy should agree to make a slow and controlled ascent to the surface and end the dive by using the "Up" signal.

The "Out-Of-Air" Hand Signal
The "Out-Of-Air" signal is taught to all Open Water Course and Experience Course students so that they know how to react in the unlikely event of an out-of-air emergency. The chances of an out-of air emergency when scuba diving are extremely low when proper Pre-Dive Checks and diving procedures are observed.

Hand signals are generally international, but it’s always wise to make sure you, your buddy and the divemaster are on the same page. Understanding one another is imperative if a dive is to run smoothly, and can make all the difference in an emergency. 

Learn the signals used by local divemasters to describe local wildlife; often the more local animal signals are not universal and you could miss out on an exciting sighting if you don’t know what the divemaster is saying.

And remember to dive fun, dive safe and dive with Phantom Divers.

Diving with Phantom Divers

I WANT TO DIVE! 

You have already spent several summers visiting the beaches of Mexico; and you have gotten to know many beautiful snorkel areas with turtles, whale sharks or maybe you just  spent some time looking for fish in the waves; then maybe its time to go to the next level ...     

Imagine that you could breathe underwater, swim for a long time with large schools of fish, turtles or even bull sharks; and have the opportunity to observe how the inhabitants of the Mexican Caribbean reefs live.    

Many people have the idea that scuba diving is very difficult and then just let pass by the opportunity; however is very easy and fun. With Phantom Divers you can try!
 How is a Discover Scuba Diver experience?
 Your diving instructor will spend time with you, to explain the basic principles of scuba diving and to give you a general idea of ​​your scuba gear.  Once you feel comfortable, your instructor will take you to a couple of reefs on Playa del Carmen, where you will be diving within 12 meters / 40 feet.

 Most Discover Scuba Diving experiences last two to three hours.  The exercises you learn during this experience can be use as a credit for the full PADI Open Water Diver certification.   

 Discover Scuba Diving experience is a great way to find out if scuba diving is for you. Contact us for an appointment and try scuba diving in the reefs of the Riviera Maya. Or start your diving lessons online now and finish your certification dives at our center.

 For more images, see our facebook page, twitter and instagram.

Don't let a Shark take away your sleep

Published in the newspaper Por Esto! in Yucatan and Quintana Roo. June 27, 2014.

By Juan José Morales

To all those who every time they enter the sea looking in all directions fearing to see the fin of a shark quickly approaching, certainly will be interested in the 2013 statistics released by the Record Identification Attribute Table - or RIAT - that keeps the Florida Museum of Natural History.

In total, 125 cases last year, which can be called shark attacks on humans, were documented. But of those, only 72 were considered unprovoked, that means that they occurred in the natural environment without the animal being somehow provoked by the person. Of the remaining 53 cases, 28 were classified as provoked, they ocurred after the shark was harpooned, taken out of a fishing net or disengage the hook when someone tried to hold it; while being fed by tourists, and in similar situations . The rest falls into several categories: attacks in confined waters like aquariums or different types of ponds, drowned corpses, etc.
Most of the attacks - 34 in total, which means almost half - occurred in inland waters of the United States, another 13 in Hawaii, which is also part of the United States, 10 in Australia, five in South Africa, three in the Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, two in Jamaica and the other in different places, with only one case at a time.
That figure of 72 non provoked attacks is down below the 81 that occurred in 2012, and the ones recorded in the two years preceding the latter. However, overall global number has been increasing so steadily, though slowly, for over a century, from 1900 to date. But this should not cause alarm. First, because the increase is minimal, and secondly because it is natural considering that the global population has more than quadrupled during that period, from 1 650 million in 1900 to 7200 million today.
And there is not only more human beings -and therefore more potential victims of a shark attack - but also more and more people are pushed into the sea, for recreation or work. A hundred years ago, only a small segment of the population could afford traveling to the beach and bathe in the sea, now is accessible to almost everyone. And not to mention the amount of people now doing dive practices and waterspouts that remain unknown a century ago, such as sailing table or scuba diving.
But above all, what has occurred in recent times, it´s more and better statistical record. Thanks to international cooperation between research institutes and authorities in different countries, as well as faster and more efficient communications, nowadays you can tell of incidents with sharks occurring anywhere in the world, even in isolated and remote locations such as small islands of the Indian Ocean or the Pacific.
So therefore there is no need to fear sharks. They are not killer beasts that prowl in the vicinity of the beaches in search of unsuspecting bathers, and likely to end in the jaws of some of them are insignificant. It is much more likely to die struck by lightning or victim of an allergic reaction from insect bites.

Comments: kixpachoch@yahoo.com.mx

MAGICAL DIVES IN THE CENOTES, Riviera Maya, Mexico

Have you ever thought about diving in Caverns? 

If you are a certified diver and planning a trip to the Riviera Maya a dive in caverns - the CENOTES - is definitely a must-do. 

The Cenotes - from the Yucatec Maya dzonot (well) - are crystalline underground rivers and caverns unique to the region.

picture courtesy of Ernesto Ortega

The visibility in the Cenotes is excellent. The water is very clear, as it comes from rain water infiltrating slowly through the ground, and therefore contains very little suspended particular matter. 

The stalactites and stalagmites that form inside the cenotes are true natural works of art. 

Beautiful stalactites taken by Ernesto Ortega Profesional Photographer.

Some Cenotes have a halocline, which is where salt and fresh water come together creating fascinating visual effects. In many, holes in the ceiling allow the sunlight to filter into the cenotes, giving the scene a magical feeling. 

Halocline and it's visual effects

Magical light effects

Don't miss this amazing dive on your next trip to the Riviera Maya. 

You will love this experience!

Check our web site for more information:

www.phantomdivers.com

or write us:

info@phantomdivers.com

say hola to riviera maya!

Dear friends,
you are welcome to our country
and even more in our nice and beautiful beaches.
please watch the visitors's videos
who are here in Playa del Carmen at the moment
www.holarivieramaya.com
thank you!!
see you soon !!

kids diving... yessss it's possible!

kids diving..
see how we take really care of kids
they dive and they do better than the adults.

WE GO DIVING WITH MUMMY AND DADDY!!!!