The Cozumel Turtle Sanctuary Snorkel Tour
Description
We're known for operating the best all-inclusive snorkel experiences on the island of Cozumel.Traveling to some of the most beautiful areas the Caribbean has to offer - including the famous 'El Cielo'. We aim to visit 3 or 4 different destinations during the tour to give you a taste of what our beautiful island has to offer. We provide everything you need to enjoy the tour with us, including freshly prepared Mexican snacks and ice-cold drinks. Just turn up and we'll take care of the rest!
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Not suitable for infants or pets We can make pick up at certain hotels piers (see the list). You only have to pay the pier taxes directly to your hotel. Our departure is at 9:30AM or 2:30PM from downtown. Collections from any hotels will be after these times - anywhere between 15 and 45 minutes, depending on the distance from the hotel. Note: The locations we have available at the hotel docks are for the use of the guests of the above mentioned hotels only. Our primary meeting point is in downtown Cozumel, to the South side of the ferry terminal underneath the giant flagpole (approximately 2 minutes walk). One of our staff will be there, clearly marked with our branded clothing and signage, to welcome you. For clients arriving by cruise ship from the S.S.A and Puerta Maya terminals, please select the 'Cid la Ceiba' hotel as your departure point, which is a few minutes walk from the Puerta Maya terminal and the SSA terminal door. You will only pay a tax of $3USD per passenger for use of this dock and we can gladly pick you up by boat. Our staff will meet you at the entrance of the hotel La Ceiba to accompany you to the boat and assist you with paying the hotel. If you are late, we shall assume that you have failed to attend, and we reserve the right to continue the tour at the scheduled time in your absence. Unfortunately, if you are late or you miss your allotted booking time, it is very unlikely that we will be able to reallocate you or your party to another slot.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- All times shown are for Cozumel’s local timezone, which may differ to your cruise ship timezone.
- Not recommend for travelers with other breathing or cardiocascular conditions
- Not recommended for travelers with recent surgery
Reviews(1,167)
I’ve been on many snorkeling excursions and this one was unfortunately on the bottom of a long list. If it wasn’t for the beautiful setting I would give this zero stars if I could. Nowhere on the website does it state that you have to put on sunscreen at least one hour before you embark. Most sunscreen you have to reapply after 80 mins anyway. So like any normal person would do I waited till I got to the gathering place to put sunscreen on. Mid spray on one of my arms I was told that I couldn’t continue to put sunscreen on. I was told it was to protect the wildlife. I complied and proceeded without sunscreen the full 4 hr duration of the excursion resulting in severe burns on my body. We did get to see a turtle but there were so many other boats in the water full of people that it was hard to get any time in or just enjoy the nature or even know where my group was. The uniforms worn by the crew were blue so they blended in really well with the water. Through the day they did take pictures in the water for the families to be able to purchase toward the end of the trip but the price was ridiculous. They wanted 200.00 for a few photos that they managed to take of my family. I understand wanting to preserve the wildlife and for that I paid dearly with burnt skin. What I don’t understand is that on our last stop I watched the “dive master” clean all of the plates that had been used during a picnic right into the ocean. They were also baiting the fish. Periodically the crew would give food to the fish. To be fair I’m not sure if that’s allowed but in terms of sea life conservation I don’t think those things go together. They don’t give you full snorkeling gear. The website says they do. But we were only given a snorkel and goggles no fins were provided. They said they don’t have them because the boats are to small and they don’t have space. The snorkel has no spit valve on the bottom and also no valve on top to keep the water out. So diving was out of the question. Word to the wise. Take this as you will. Just be prepared.
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We're genuinely sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations, especially given your previous snorkeling experiences. We are particularly sorry to hear about your severe sunburn. Our sunscreen policy is in place to help protect the fragile marine ecosystem, and we understand how frustrating it must have been to feel unprepared. We appreciate your feedback regarding the clarity of this policy and will review how we communicate this information before guests arrive so everyone has the opportunity to plan accordingly. We also understand your disappointment with the number of boats at the turtle snorkeling site. As this is a protected area, multiple licensed operators may be present at the same time, which can affect the experience despite everyone's best efforts to provide a memorable encounter. Regarding the snorkeling equipment, we provide masks and snorkels as standard equipment for this tour. Fins are not included due to limited space onboard and because they are not required for the snorkeling sites we visit. We will review our website to ensure this is communicated as clearly as possible if there is any inconsistency. We appreciate your comments about our photography service and pricing, as well as your observations regarding our crew's practices. We take environmental stewardship seriously, and your concerns have been shared with our management team for review. We are committed to ensuring our operations align with the conservation standards we promote. While we're disappointed that this tour did not provide the experience you were hoping for, we sincerely appreciate your feedback. It helps us identify areas where we can improve our communication and guest experience. We wish you all the best and hope you enjoyed the beautiful surroundings despite the challenges you encountered.
The snorkeling was great and the guides were good. The boat wasn't exactly "luxury", but was was fine (the onboard bathroom was uncomfortable). They offered several drinks and snacks and everyone seemed to enjoy. However, we had to walk to a hotel a few blocks away, only to walk all the way back to the exact same location we exited the ship from AND had to pay additional $4 per person to do so...(a $4 dock fee)! Note there was a also a $10 marine park fee per person- which was mentioned when booking.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We're glad to hear you enjoyed the snorkeling, our guides, and the drinks and snacks on board. We also appreciate your feedback regarding the boat and the boarding process. The marina requires all guests to check in at our meeting point before walking together to the dock for boarding. We understand this may seem inconvenient, and we'll continue looking for ways to make the process as smooth as possible. Regarding the fees, the marine park fee is required for all visitors and is disclosed during the booking process. The dock fee is charged by the marina and is separate from our tour price, as it is collected directly by the port authorities. Thank you again for your valuable feedback. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for another great day on the water.
This snorkeling tour was fantastic! It was our first time snorkeling, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The guides were fun, friendly, and extremely helpful, which made us feel comfortable the entire time. Communication before the tour was also excellent—emails were answered quickly and with kindness. Overall, it was absolutely worth the money and such a memorable experience. Highly recommended!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that your first snorkeling experience was such a memorable one. It means a lot to know that our guides made you feel comfortable and that our team was able to provide excellent communication before your tour. We truly appreciate your kind words and recommendation. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure in the future
So so adventure. The hidden fees increased after booking. The destination changed due to the weather which isn’t the fault of the excursion. We were rerouted to another location. The hotel that we met at was closed and we still paid a fee to use the hotels location/dock. That was a scam. The snorkeling didn’t include fins and the snorkels were cheap “j” shaped hard plastic. The ceviche was good but they skimped on tortillas chips and offered cheap beer. They offer tequila but poured it down the throats of guess until it spilled all over them. Not the best way to treat paying guests. I like tequila but don’t want to bath in it. The pictures we so-so. The Intrepid boat was underpowered and couldn’t support the passengers. We were constantly in the hole and motor kept beeping at full throttle. We didn’t see many fish. The boat had propellers engaged while guests were in the water too close. Not impressed with their ability to take care of us. They did a great job emphasizing the tip jar.
Thank you for sharing your experience. We regret that several aspects of the tour did not meet your expectations. While weather-related changes are sometimes necessary for safety reasons, we understand that other issues you mentioned affected your overall enjoyment of the tour. We value all customer feedback and will carefully review your comments regarding rates, equipment, service, food presentation, photography, and safety procedures with our team.
Loved this tour!! Super nice and attentive crew. The food was delicious!! I'm from Sinaloa and I give the ceviche a 10/10!!! | recommend the enigma boat with Gasper and Emilio!
Wow, thank you for such a fantastic review! We're delighted that you had a great time aboard Enigma with Jasper and Emilio. Hearing that our ceviche earned a 10/10 from a guest from Sinaloa absolutely made our day! We're so glad you enjoyed the food, the crew, and the overall experience. We look forward to seeing you again on your next visit to Cozumel!
The water is a little choppy in some places but the snorkeling was beautiful. The staff were very knowledgeable and attentive during the snorkeling. The beach area was okay, but had lots of seaweed floating and you couldn't see the bottom. (My shower was full of it when I showered 🤣) The guacamole and ceveche were very good, however, it's served in the water at the beach. This is a very cool idea, but the waves kept splashing on the food- plus the wind kept taking my chips.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the snorkeling, the beautiful marine life, and the attentive service from our team. We're also happy that the guacamole and ceviche were a hit! Nature can sometimes bring choppier waters and seasonal seaweed conditions, which are beyond our control, but It sounds like you had some memorable moments—even if the seaweed decided to come home with you! we appreciate your good humor about it. Thank you for your valuable feedback regarding the beach snack experience as well. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future!
The port authority shut down the south side so we went to the north side but it was still a great experience! Baby turtle and the rest of the crew were excellent!!!
Thank you for your wonderful review! While the port authority's closure of the south side required a change of plans, we're so happy to hear that you still had a great experience. Baby Turtle and the entire crew will be thrilled to receive your kind words. We truly appreciate your flexibility and hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
This was the best time. Leo, Fernanda, and Miguel were amazing hosts! If you are looking for an absolute blast while seeing some amazing sea life, this is your trip. The food! Oh my was the food delicious! Book this trip!
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're beyond happy to hear the crew made your trip so memorable. Amazing wildlife, great food, and lots of fun are exactly what we aim for. Your recommendation means the world to us, and we look forward to having you onboard again for another incredible adventure!
Do not buy pictures. We paid for pictures and never was received them. I have emailed them multiple times and still 2 days later haven't got anything and probably won't. Experience was good other than that.
Thank you for your feedback. We're glad to hear you had a good experience overall, but we're sorry to hear about the issue with your photos. We'd like to look into this and help get it resolved as quickly as possible. If you could please provide your phone number, email address, or booking details, we'll investigate the situation and follow up with you directly. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and look forward to resolving it for you.
This was our first time snorkeling. The guides were very friendly and encouraging. Even though the weather was not good we really enjoyed our trip. There was enough time at each stop, snack was good and staff were lovely. The only feedback I have is to put a lid on storage box for the personal items. Our bags were soaked through which had our spare clothes and we had to go buy dry clothes before getting the ferry back to Playa del Carmen. Passengers.... I would recommend having water proof bags. It rained on our trip but even if the sun was out the spray from the ocean hit everything! Would do it again 😃
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're delighted to hear that your first snorkeling trip was such an enjoyable one, despite the weather conditions. Our team works hard to create a fun and welcoming experience, so it's wonderful to know that our guides, staff, and snacks helped make your day memorable. We also appreciate your feedback regarding the storage boxes. We understand how frustrating it must have been to have your belongings get wet, and we'll certainly take your suggestion into consideration as we continue improving our tours. Thank you as well for the helpful tip about waterproof bags for future guests. We'd love to welcome you back for another adventure, hopefully with a little more sunshine next time!
