Isla Mujeres, or the “Island of Women”, is a small island located just 13km off the coast from Cancun. It is technically part of the Mexican State of Quintana Roo and marks the spot where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean Sea. 

Isla Mujeres is known for its scuba diving, what with the protected marine park that lies just offshore to the west, and the role it plays as a breeding ground for whale sharks every summer. Most dive sites in this area are shallow reefs with little to no current, which is suitable for beginner divers. More advanced divers will be drawn towards the deeper wreck and cave dives that this area also has to offer.

Isla Mujeres is a unique dive destination that offers interactions with pelagic species as well as reef-dwelling macrofauna through access to shallow and deep dive sites. Like all of the popular dive destinations that dot the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, the dive sites surrounding Isla Mujeres are on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is the second-largest reef system in the world. The highlight of Isla Mujeres, however, is that whale sharks terminate their migratory path just off the northeast coast, which makes for a spectacular sight for those in the water. 

If your main objective is to swim with whale sharks, May through September is the time to visit Isla Mujeres. This is when waters are warmest, so novice divers who prefer not to dive with a wetsuit should target this month as well. The wintertime is normally the most popular time to visit Isla Mujeres since visibility is at its peak and encounters with other pelagic species are quite common. 

Isla Mujeres is versatile in that it has reef-diving, wreck-diving, and drift-diving opportunities. The wrecks in this area are plentiful: remnants of the General Anaya, Hondureño, and El Pesquero are some of the many that can be explored. 

Due to the proximity of all dive sites to either Isla Mujeres or Cancún, liveaboard dive boats do not operate in this region. Instead, local dive shops and dive resorts make frequent boat trips out to the area’s dive sites. 
 

The main attraction of Isla Mujeres that inspires divers to travel from all over the world is the opportunity to swim with whale sharks. These magnificent and gentle giants are the largest species of shark, and they arrive off the northeast coast of Isla Mujeres between June and September every year as the final stop on their migratory path. These whale sharks can grow up to 13m in length and can weigh more than 1,000kg. Their size and feeding patterns (filter-feeding) are what make them more like whales than sharks. 

Aside from the majestic megafauna, a variety of reef-dwellers can also be found in the waters surrounding Isla Mujeres. Grouper, parrotfish, snappers, angelfish, trunkfish, grunts, wrasses, and blue tangs swim in and around the elkhorn, staghorn, and brain corals.  Eels can be found in the little cracks in the reef and under the overhangs. Other pelagic species that divers may come across include bull, nurse, grey reef, and blacktip sharks, Hawksbill sea turtles, and sailfish. 
 

Aside from swimming with whale sharks, Isla Mujeres hosts a variety of popular dive sites. “Manchones Reef” is an 800m long reef system made up of elkhorn, staghorn, and brain corals. Many different species call this reef home, such as nurse sharks, stingrays, lobsters, crabs, and a variety of colorful fish. 

It is no surprise that diving at the “Cave of the Sleeping Sharks” dive site will guarantee an encounter with a bull, nurse, grey reef, and/or blacktip shark. This site is located just 30 minutes offshore from Cancun, and seeing as the cave in which the sharks sleep is at 20-30m depth, this site is geared towards more advanced divers comfortable with deep dives. 

“La Candenita Reef” is a stunning yet rarely visited shallow drift-dive site. This reef boasts countless types of corals, including staghorn, elkhorn, fire, fan, and sponge corals. These healthy corals are complemented by their vibrant inhabitants. 

The Juan de la Barrera was an active minesweeper during various wars and was intentionally sunk in 2000 by the Mexican government to act as an artificial reef and to promote healthy reef ecosystems. This wreck has since blossomed into a well-inhabited reef that is home to reef sharks and eagle rays,. 

Finally, the Museo Subacuático de Arte, or MUSA, is a must-see dive site. Located between Cancun and Isla Mujeres, this underwater museum has over 500 permanent life-sized sculptures that divers can explore. This museum lies at the intersection between art and environmental science/conservation and aims to raise awareness about human impact on the environment and our changing oceans and climate.