Cozumel Drift - Special Edition
Hey Amigo ! - where are you?

All of us here are looking forward to youir next visit. Will that be soon? We hope so.
How are things in Cozumel?
Wow.... they look GREAT !
Things here are going quite well. We have been having dive and snorkel trips almost every single day. Some days multiple boats. Yes, we do have to limit the number of divers are on the boat. Unless you are all part of the same family. Then you can all be on the same boat, or table at a restaurant, things like that.
WE ARE STILL ORANGE

The entire state of Q.ROO is in the ORANGE status, meaning we can operate at 30% occupancy. And we will remain in the ORANGE for next week as well.

If you need additional information on this color scheme and how open we can be. You can READ MORE HERE .

Why are we still in the Orange, are things not getting better in Cozumel? We still see new cases of Covid. Not a lot, but it is not diminishing as rapidly as they would like it. So, for that reason, we are staying ORANGE
Things are opening slowly and getting a bit better. They are for sure not getting worse, but they are not getting better as fast as the government officials or tourists had hoped. Keep in mind we follow the same directives as the entire state of Quintana Roo, which includes, Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, Tulum, etc. etc. That's a huge area. So please take it as positive sign that we are not moving backwards.

Since we have opened up, we have seen a small uptick in COVID case numbers. Nothing like our neighbors to the north, but an uptick nevertheless. it seems like many locals feel that they can go to the beaches again, even though they are still closed.

As of today, we have had a total 114 cases, with 48 recovered, and 66 active cases, either at home or in the hospital. As of right now, 48% of the Covid hospital beds being ocupied. There have been 17 deaths.

In all of Quintana Roo, it is required to wear a mask. This is one of the ways that we have been keeping the numbers down. Along with a curfew. It was reduced this weekend for the holidays, so that the tourists did not have to finish so early. It started at 10 pm, but on Mon was returned to.....
Please don't touch the starfish !
El Cielo is open and full of starfish. So please remember - do NOT touch or pick up the starfish.

The Red Cushion Sea Stars live in our waters and has seen a 20% decline over the last few years... the same years that going to El Cielo has become so popular. So please dicourage anyone you know from picking them up for pictures. They are so much more beautiful when you see them in their natural environment, walking along the ocean floor. Since the LOVE to eat algae, the reefs really benefit from as many starfish tht we can have in the ocean.
64,000 Green Sea Turtles

A Herd of Turtles...
Recently, in Australia, scientist used a drone to capture footage of a massive Green Sea Turtle migration to Raine Island. This footage has given them the ability to better estimate the size of this colony and they came up with 64,000 turtles. These turtles are migrating to this beach to lay they their eggs. Each turtle will lay somewhere between 100 and 200 eggs! That somewhere between 6,400,000 (6.4 Million) and 12,800,000 (12.8 Million) eggs. WOW!!!!
Check out this amazing video from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and the Queensland Government.
This is great news and scientists are excited and optimistic about using drones for more accurate counts in the future on Green Sea Turtles as well as other turtles and other marine life. Despite these numbers though, the Green Sea Turtle population is in decline. Like so many marine species they face due to over hunting (for their meat) decreased habitat, their eggs being harvested, and being caught in fishing nets. This, combined with the perilous journey that new born turtles face in not just getting from the beach to the water but then having to dodge the many natural predators that await them.
Plastic Free July
Yes, Plastic Free July is actually a thing. This is actually becoming part of a global movement to help millions of people become part of the solution and not part of the problem.

If you need, or think you need these wasteful plastic items in your life, take this month to reduce or eliminate them from your life.
https://www.plasticfreejuly.org
A good place to start is by looking at the "big four" and eliminating them from your life.
  1. Plastic Grocery Bags. 12 minutes is the average lifespan of a plastic bag and over one trillion plastic grocery bags are used around the world every year!
  2. To-Go Coffee Cups. To-go coffee cups are made from a lot of plastic and A LOT of people use them. Bring a reusable cup and cut down on that plastic usage. Or, save money and make your coffee or tea at home!
  3. Single-Use Straws. Over 500 million plastic straws are used in the U.S. every single day and none of them can be recycled through normal recycling channels.
  4. Plastic Water Bottles. One million plastic water bottles are purchased every MINUTE. There are many reasons to invest in a reusable water bottle.

Take this month to change how you view and use plastics, It will make a difference.

Check out these additional resources for more information Plastic Free July.
Why PLASTIC free?

These images, we have all seen them... horrible. This is why we need to reduce our plastics. Click on any picture to read the story.....
Turtle with a plastic grocery bag
Sperm whale found with 220 lbs of plastic in his stomach
Here is some good news though ! The SALTWATER BREWERY is a microbrewery in Florida and has begun to use a NON plastic 6-pack holder that not only works as a holder, it also feeds the wildlife!
I had always thought that I was doing my part by cutting through all of the rings to prevent prevent birds, squirrels, turtles and other wildlife from getting it stuck around their heads. But did you know fish, whales and turtles still eat it? Thinking that it is food? That was an eye opener for me. I had thought all along that I was helping out by cutting them down. Entelequia is a Mexican the company producing this, along with many other biodegradable products.
Over the last couple of years, this product has really taken off in microbreweries around the world, including places like Australia, South Africa, Poland, Scotland, Connecticut, Michigan, Washington and Pennsylvania. But now, Corona has just gotten on board and has begun to use these 6 pack holders in Tulum. It is starting there and they will be expanding it's usage. They are the first MAJOR brewery to utilize this product. Woo hoo !!
Do you chew plastic?

I hope not, I sure don't. So I was horrified to learn that chewing gum is made from... yup, you guessed it. PLASTIC. Polymers, elastomers, plasticizers and resins, and of course sweeteners, and artificial flavoring. Hmmmm.... that was eye opening. And unfortunate to learn that it is no longer made from the tree sap that it was originally made from. So can it be recycled? Yes, it can. So if you chew gum, make sure you put that in the plastic recycling bin.
Do you know where gum first originated from? Actually, it has been around since ANCIENT times. The Greeks, Mayans, Chinese, native Americans, among others have all chewed the sap from a local tree or root. The Mayans were the first ones to actually exploit the positive properties of gum. It comes from the Zapote tree, which is native to Yucatan, Chiapas, Guatemala and Belize. The Mayan merchants, took it to the Aztecs, that called it tzictli, which is pronounced like chicle. It means - sticky stuff.
And do you know which port was one of the major ports for the export of this tree sap to the US? You might have guessed - Cozumel. The chicleros (men who harvested the tree sap) would bring the product to Cozumel, and it would be shipped to the US and made into gum. The chicleros fought hard to maintain their territories. Harvesting was from July thru February. The abundant rains of June gets the sap to flow freely. The chicleros also where helpful in bringing the Mayan civilization to light, during the early 1900's. As they would explore the Yucatan, looking for more trees to harvest, they would happen upon the Mayan ruins across the Yucatan.

Does that word "chicle" sound familiar? That is actually the basis for the name CHICLETS, the gum created by Thomas Adams and Philip Wrigley. Although they were not the first to introduce chewing gum to the US, Wrigley's was one of the largest producers of it.
So, back to the topic.... plastics. If you are interested in chewing gum that is NOT plastic, there are opotions. Glee Gum is still made from the original chicle - what a great option. All natural flavors, etc. Much better than some plastic.

And, if you would like to see some chicle/zapote wood, take a look at a palapa - any palapa actually. It is used all of the time as the support beams. It is a very sturdy and hard wood, along the lines of mahogany. It is easily found here and grows quickly. And if you remember, ONLY the 3 large zapote posts of the palapa stood through the 50 hours of Hurricane Wilma. And they are still in the palapa today.
Scuba Shack Website
Where to find important information...

Check out the Scuba Shack Website (www.scubashackcoz.com). With all this changing news and information, fun articles and interesting updates, sometimes it's hard to keep track of it all. So, we have been working hard to also update the Scuba Shack website. Here you can find our new FAQ page, newsletter archive page, COVID-19 status page, Travel info page, and much, much more.
The Airline Information page has been very popular lately. As folks are planning their return trips to Cozumel, this has been a good starting point to find out what is going on with the airlines. For example, United just changed their flight schedules for August, AGAIN!!. So check this page by clicking the button below.
More Island Openings
Here is the updated list of the restaurant's that are open for eat in options -
  • La Cocay - steaks, salds and pizzas
  • Al Pie del Carbon - flame grilled specialties
  • Ernesto's - not yet.... 1 - 15. Can't seem to get a straight answer.
  • Blue Angel restaurant - oceanside diving

Airport transportation is operating at 50%. The movie theater just opened - 30%.

Jul 1 - Chankanaab Park and Punta Sur Parks are opening

If you don't see your favorite restaurant or bar, then check out their Facebook page.
Roberta's Scuba Shack


+52.987.872.4240 - Phone

+521.987.114-3568 - Cell and WhatsApp
Village Tan Kah


+52.987.872.4240 - Phone