BIENVENIDOS ... or welcome to The Drift. If you are new to our Scuba Shack and Village Tan Kah family, this is our newsletter that keeps you up to date with what is happening here on COZUMEL, as well as your favorite dive shop and hotel. We sure hope that you like it!

A HUGE GRACIAS to everyone for coming to visit us recently. We have been busy with divers, and rain, and wind and.... well, the weather !

Now that we are well into the holiday season, do you need help with a Christmas present for a special someone? How about .....

Let us know and we will get that Christmas Gift Certificate to you. Just email us and let us know....

The Marine Park schedule for reef closures has changed as of Dec 1. Santa Rosa and San Francisco walls and shallows are now open again. YEAH - let's go see how they have done. For December and January, Chankanaab and Chankanaab Bolones will be closed. All other reefs are open. There was a FB post with 2019 info. Sorry about that guys - right info, just the wrong year. It has been deleted. Below you will find the actual schedule. Click on the picture if you would like to see the info on our webpage.

Located within Chankanaab Park, this coral restoration project is dedicated to growing new corals in order to restore the Chankanaab coastline. They have more than 1,000 coral fragments that are currently growing to be transplanted at a future date. There was concern that this protected area might have been damaged, since we have had such a stormy October and November, with a tropical storm, 2 hurricanes, and then 2 extremely strong nortes. The project coordinator has confirmed that all structures are doing well.

Want to read more about it??

We are still in code YELLOW - meaning we can operate at 60%, or higher if we are outdoors, as long as we maintain social distancing. Couples and families who live and stay together can easily social distance from others on the boat.

... to know what you would like to read more about in the upcoming newsletters. I mean, I could keep writing interesting articles about what I think is appealing... but, I would rather that you tell me what you would like to hear about. Some ideas are.....

In addition, we are in need of UW videos. Now, there are some amazing videographers that dive with us. How about sharing your videos... or pictures even? Of course when we post them we are going to give you all of the credit in the world for your hard work. But we need more footage. And we can edit it, don't worry about that. Pictures and videos need to be of high resolution and videos need to be at least 2 minutes long. Let's see what you got out there!

At least according to the island's Fishrmen Coop. They are reporting that is getting more difficult to find those little buggers. Not that Rudy is leaving them much to find! Actually, they do not fish in the Marine Park so Rudy is still doing his job.

The fishermen began harvesting lionfish 4 years ago, and were averaging 700 kilos/ month. This year, they are only averaging 300-400 kilos per month - almost half of normal. What gives? Hopefully it is the fact that more and more people are consuming this voracious predator and more locations across the Caribbean are fishing them.

There also seems to be some kind of disease that is creating open sores on the fish's skin, which has added to their decline. Here is a great article if you would like to read more.

Are you an avid shell collector and love to return home with a bag of mementos from the island? Experts have been examining shell-collecting to determine ecological effects of removing remnants from the beach, and we have good news: you can collect shells and not harm the environment! Hal Brindley composed a guide for Travel for Wildlife in 2016 and offered his tips based on research and consultation with experts.

*NOTE: Roberta’s Scuba Shack is always looking for great photos of wildlife! You may share your photos with us on Facebook, Instagram, or by emailing them to us at: roberta@scubashackcoz.com and posting it in the FAQ section in News/Info. We will share your image and give you credit for it.