B A C Turtle

And while in Cancun, the adventurous traveler should not miss the thrilling turtle tow in the bay. This somewhat pricey but exhilarating water journey will leave you both relaxed and enlightened after a peaceful cruise through the depths, clad as an aquatic reptile.

On land one feels a bit clumsy and heavy in the fiberglass body (see diagram below), but you don’t feel closed in when the turtleneck is screwed on, with the wide-angle view through the head. Once in the water, dry diving in the buoyant shell feels natural and effortless. Twenty meters behind the slow tow boat, steering vertically or horizontally is done easily with the flipper limbs.

The four shell divers’ safety is taken quite seriously as the tow cables have two-way communication and quick releases. The cable guy on the boat also has four-channel, cable TV, and each time a turtle surfaces, an automatic pump-snorkel replaces the bad air.

Feeling like a sea creature gliding among the fish was blissful, especially when we were accompanied by some real sea turtles, until a horny male leatherback, showing too much interest, caused a premature termination of the tour.