Crustaceans of Cozumel Downtown Wrecks
At the north edge of San Miguel de Cozumel, a few hundred yards off the shore from Hemingway’s, sits a collection of manmade structures covered in coral and teeming with sea life. The Downtown Wrecks are the name I know for this site, and it’s an easy dive of about 35 feet just minutes from Puerto Abrigo. The namesakes of the site are two small wrecks, both about ten meters long, that have been down long enough that they are now covered in coral and algae, crustaceans, and blennies. Glassy sweepers and other Mesoamerican wreck regulars take refuge inside the emptied hull that serves as a liminal space between the ships’ histories and it’s new ecological commission on the seafloor.
Years ago, someone placed some large cement slabs around these ships and covered them in different species of coral. The coral has taken to the environment and now serves as a living museum to the nearby marine parks. The blocks and the ships collectively are home to eels, the occasional frogfish, nudibranchs, and rays looking for a place to hunt or be hunted.
Last night was my first night dive at the site, and while there was a current that made macro photography more difficult, I was able to find a few little things I don’t often see at the site when I dive there during the day. The most exciting to me were the decorator crabs and a shrimp I have yet to identify. I’ve also included some fish, a clam and two hermit crabs for good measure.
