Playa del Carmen dive site · Open Water
Tortugas is the reef most divers remember from Playa del Carmen. A gentle drift along a sloping reef at 18 to 25 metres, with resident sea turtles, nurse sharks tucked under the ledges and southern stingrays on the sand. It sits about ten minutes by boat from the beach and is usually the first dive of our two tank reef morning.
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The experience
What you see at Tortugas
The name tells you the headline. Tortugas has a resident population of sea turtles that graze on the sponges and rest under the coral heads, and on a normal dive you meet several of them without looking hard. Green turtles are the most common, hawksbills show up along the reef edge, and the big loggerheads pass through in the nesting months from May to October.
Look under the ledges for nurse sharks lying in the sand, and out across the sandy channels for southern stingrays and, in the cooler months, spotted eagle rays flying past in the blue. Barracuda hang above the reef, schools of grunts and snapper pack the overhangs, and in bull shark season the deeper end of the reef is only a short swim from Shark Point.
The dive
Tortugas is a classic Playa del Carmen drift. The captain drops the group at the southern end, you descend together onto the reef at around 18 metres, and the current does the work while your guide sets the pace along the slope. The reef runs in ridges separated by sand channels, so there is always something to hold your attention: turtles on the ridges, rays and garden eels on the sand, and the blue water off the edge for anything bigger.
Bottom time is typically 40 to 45 minutes depending on depth and air. At the end of the dive the group ascends together, does the safety stop on the surface marker and the boat comes to you. No swimming back, no long surface swims.
Who Tortugas is for
- Certified divers who want the best chance of turtles and sharks on one dive
- Open Water divers with a handful of logged dives who are comfortable at 18 metres
- Advanced Open Water divers, or anyone who wants to complete a drift or deep dive with a guide
- Underwater photographers: the turtles are used to divers and the light on the sand is excellent before midday
If it has been more than a year since your last dive, tell us when you book. We will suggest a refresher or start you on a shallower reef so Tortugas is enjoyable rather than stressful. Not certified yet? The Open Water course finishes with dives on these same reefs.
Conditions and what to bring
- Your certification card and dive computer
- A 3 mm wetsuit is enough most of the year; we advise on thickness for the winter months
- Reef safe sunscreen applied after the dives, not before
- Towel, swimwear and a dry change of clothes
Best months for visibility are April to September. Bull shark season runs from November to February, when we can pair a Tortugas dive with a bull shark observation dive. The best time to dive Playa del Carmen guide covers the seasons month by month.
Key details
Tortugas at a glance
- Location
- Off Playa del Carmen, about ten minutes by boat
- Depth
- 18 to 25 metres along a sloping reef with sand channels
- Dive type
- Drift dive: the boat drops you at the start and picks you up at the end
- Current
- Mild to moderate, running north with the Yucatán current
- Level
- Open Water with a few logged dives; Advanced Open Water recommended for the deeper profile
- Marine life
- Green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles, nurse sharks, southern stingrays, spotted eagle rays in winter, bull sharks nearby from November to February
- Price
- Two tank reef dive 2,200 MXN per diver, including two dives and drinking water
- Season
- Year round. Water 26 to 29 °C, visibility usually 15 to 30 metres
Good to know
Tortugas diving questions
What divers ask us before they book this site.
Will I definitely see turtles at Tortugas?
No dive site comes with a guarantee, but Tortugas has resident turtles and sightings are the norm rather than the exception. Several on one dive is common.
How deep is Tortugas?
The reef slopes from about 18 metres down to 25 metres. Your guide plans the profile for the group, and Open Water divers stay on the shallower part of the slope.
Is the current strong?
Usually mild to moderate. Tortugas is a drift dive, so you travel with the current rather than against it, and the boat follows the group’s surface marker.
What certification do I need?
Open Water Diver with a few logged dives is fine. Advanced Open Water is recommended if you want to explore the deeper end of the reef.
How much does a Tortugas dive cost?
Tortugas is part of our two tank reef morning at 2,200 MXN per diver, which includes two dives and drinking water. Rental equipment and Nitrox are available; tell us when you book.
Can I dive Tortugas and see bull sharks on the same day?
From November to February, yes. We combine a Tortugas drift with a bull shark observation dive nearby. Outside the season the sharks are not present.
Next step
Ready to dive Tortugas?
Send us your dates, certification level and recent experience and we will confirm availability, the meeting time and everything included.
Keep exploring
More Playa del Carmen dive sites
Tortugas is one stop on a coastline of reefs within fifteen minutes of the beach. The best dive sites in Playa del Carmen guide covers the shallow gardens, the walls and the Mama Viña wreck for Advanced divers.
Dive siteMama Viña wreckThe signature dive: a shrimp boat on the sand at 27 to 30 metres with barracuda above the mast.
Dive siteJardinesThe easy reef: shallow coral gardens with morays, rays and long relaxed bottom times.
Dive siteMoc CheTwo sites in one: a shallow macro reef and a deep side where bull sharks pass in winter.