Posted by Nancy D. Brown

One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish; Dr. Seuss must have done his research for his I Can Read  children's book while diving in Cozumel, Mexico. With our Atlantis guide pointing out morey eel, crab, turtles and more fish than my eyes could track, he was the Pied Piper of the under water world.  Armed with a water bottled filled with tortilla crumbs, the guide scattered the food into the sea, as the fish darted in and out to grab a late morning snack.  The school of fish shadowed our guide, like cleaner shrimp that follow reef fish and remove the parasites from their skin.

The Author SnorkelingThis was my first trip to the beautiful island of Cozumel, the largest and most significant island in Mexico. I have snorkeled in Maui, Hawaii and I found the climate and water color similar, however, the reef fish are quite different in each region. Located on the western part of Mexico's Caribbean coast, Paradise Reef is one of the few reef areas accessible to beach divers.  While I spotted parrot fish, angel fish and plenty of tangs, the elusive Splendid Toad fish, which lives only in Cozumel waters, was not sighted today.

After returning to the Park Royal for a quick shower, I headed over to the town of San Miguel de Cozumel, on the west coast. I'm still recovering from my wonderful Churro sugar high. More later.