While the San Francisco site is called a reef it is more accurately labeled a wall dive. The prime location is directly off San Francisco beach and is a spectacular drop-off. The lip of the wall can be found in as little as 20 feet of water but depths for the drop-off point of 50 to 60 feet are more common. Off the seaward side of the reef depths drops off to what are referred to by dive masters and books as unlimited. During my dive here I stayed between 65 and 75 feet.
Descending for another adventure
At the wall there is a good amount of wildlife. I saw some very large groupers before descending over the lip of the wall. At around 70 feet along the wall there were many small fish and also some swimming in the current. Due to the deeper depths and slightly lower light levels many nocturnal fish hide in the crevices of the wall. On the landward side of the lip there are an abundance of rays and conch. The most spectacular aspect of San Francisco, in my opinion, is the incredible view. To the left is the drop-off with shades of deep blue nothingness. On the right is a view up the wall and the impressive coral overhangs with the outlines of fish hinding from the current behind the formation.
The incredibly bright coneyfish
San Francisco is only feasibly accessed by boat. Its very easy, due to the steep wall, to exceed your maximum depth. A dive master will help make sure that everyone maintains a reasonable depth. While the scenery is amazing I found myslef loosing interest in the view and there is more wildlife to watch at other sites. I highly recommend that everyone do this dive at least once but I found no particular desire to do a second dive here.
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| Stingrays are fairly common in the waters around Cozumel, however, they are difficult to spot because they blend into the sand so well. These animals are incredibly beatiful when they swim - its like they are flying in slow motion. |
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