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Sand Dunes - Amazing Structures Providing Shelter & Food |
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Cozumel is known for its miles and miles of pristine beaches and coastal areas. And all along the island's shoreline there are sand dunes piled up behind these beautiful beaches. As visitors walk along the water's edge and dig their toes into the soft sand, few realize that the health and beauty of the beaches are heavily dependent on the sand dunes just behind them. As more and more research is done on coastal eco-systems, scientists are now beginning to make us fully aware of the critically important role that sand dunes play in our global, coastal eco-systems.
Sand dunes provide a wide range of habitats for a variety of unusual, interesting and adaptive plants that can cope with unstable habitats. Sand dunes form in relatively exposed locations. All over a dune, very specialized plants adapt to the accumulation of sand around them surviving the continual burial of their shoots by sending up very rapid vertical growth. With the help of these plant shoots, small mounds of vegetation and/or tide-washed debris can form and tend to enlarge as the wind-speed drops behind the mound, allowing blowing sand to fall out of the air stream and accumulate which constantly increases the size of a dune. The plants are physiologically adapted to withstand the problems of high salt contents in the air and soil. Sand dunes support a wide variety of colorful flowering plants, including a number of species of orchid.
On the inland side of dunes conditions are less severe, and typical grasslands develop containing a wide range of plant life. When enough humus has accumulated within the grassland sand, this more stabilized soil improves water retention and promotes further plant diversity development. Consequently, sand dune systems are excellent places for biodiversity, partly because they are not very productive for agriculture, and partly because these unstable and stable soil habitats are present in proximity to each other. Many dune areas are protected as nature reserves, and some are parts of larger conservation areas incorporating other coastal co-existing habitats like salt marshes, mud flats, grasslands, scrub and woodland.
All coastal dune ecosystems also support a population of animal species in addition to plant life. Since most animal life requires basic survival elements such as shelter, food and water, it stands to reason that species density in any one area would be dependent on their availability. Small birds, reptiles, crustaceans, and other coastal species commonly call the coastal dunes their home. As the dune system moves from the fore dunes toward the back dunes, with their increased vegetation, the ecosystem becomes more complex, supporting a larger amount of species. Sand dune systems are also very rich in invertebrates including butterflies, moths and burrowing bees and wasps.
The beach is a margin of sand in a dynamic ebb and flow controlled by tides, winds, currents and waves. The critical factor is the presence of a sufficiently large beach plain whose surface dries out between high tides. Off shore shallow sand banks release the initial energy from ocean swells as they break and send secondary waves with low residual energy gently up and down the beach. The dissipative beaches are wide, gently sloping, slow draining and quite firm underfoot because the fine sand particles fit close together. These beaches support a relatively high variety of burrowing organisms. Because of their shallow gradients, these beaches also act as traps for another group of organisms called diatoms. Diatoms survive between sand grains and provide the chief food for bi-valves and other filter feeders.
Recreation is a major land use on sand dune areas. Many dune systems are used extensively by tourists, mostly on foot but also for parking cars and in some cases for driving four-wheel-drive vehicles or motorcycles. Moderate pressure by pedestrians may cause little damage, however, excessive pedestrian use and vehicular use in particular, have caused unacceptable erosion on many dune sites.
Many dune systems also support one or more golf courses. Here much of the original vegetation may be retained in the rough, but the communities of the fairways, and particularly the greens and tees, are often severely modified by mowing, fertilizing and re-seeding. Sand dunes have also been affected in the past by housing developments, industrial development, and waste collection areas on or adjacent to them as well as sand extraction.
What can you do to help protect and conserve Cozumel's sand dunes? |
If you live part time or full time or vacation on the island:
Sign up & participate in ongoing beach cleanup efforts in Cozumel.
Keep your visits to the beaches "green" by not discarding trash. Leave the beach pristine. If you want to go beyond being an environmentally conscious visitor, there are a number of ways you can become proactive in the protection of our sand dunes. Pick up trash as you walk along the shore, and recycle or dispose of it properly. Encourage better behavior by other users; point out regulations and the reasons for them. Report any serious violation you see to the proper authorities.
If you must cross the dune, pick your way between the plants and avoid already-eroded trails and steep approaches. If there is more than one person, select spots where the dune is shallow and spread out; return to the beach by a different route.
Do not build fires on the beach. While dried driftwood makes great campfires, this and other natural debris washed up by the lake help trap sand, and are the only source of nutrients available for plant growth on the dunes. Also, beach campfires leave unsightly scars and pose a fire threat to surrounding vegetation in this dry habitat.
Do not ride all-terrain vehicles on the beach.
Do not disturb water birds, migrating shorebirds, and nesting shorebirds. They are extremely intolerant of visitors and are easily denied nesting habitat by the very presence of recreational beach/dune users.
If you are a golfer, encourage golf course management policies and practices that are sympathetic to the flora and fauna of sand dune systems.
Support legislation for sound management of the world's coastal areas with your government.
Maintaining sandunes is essentional for Cozumel's future.
Thank you for doing your part to protect and conserve Cozumel's sandunes.
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Some Great Ways to Get Close to Nature!
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Cozumel Butterfly Sanctuary Tour & PalMar Snorkel Beach Club |
Visit Cozumel's only Butterfly Sanctuary! Merged in 2018 with the Cozumel Butterflies & Botanical Gardens, see multitudes of colors, learn about butterfly habits and the miracle of metamorphosis. Take photos and then stay to enjoy snorkeling and the other ammenities of the PalMar Snorkel Beach Club. Great family fun & excellent value!
Starting at US $8.00!
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Cozumel - Punta Sur Ecopark, Lighthouse & Snorkeling |
Cozumel's largest natural eco-park featuring a lighthouse to climb, Mayan ruins to see, coves to snorkel, a nautical museum, sea turtle nesting areas, a crocodile sanctuary, an enormous mangrove lagoon where spoonbill flamingos nest and white egrets go hunting daily along with a multitude of other animal species that call the park home. Experience Cozumel's wildlife up close and personal during this unique tour excursion activity!
US $125 Adults / US $115 Kids
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PalMar Snorkel Beach Club & Patas y Alas Butterfly Sanctuary |
Bring your group and spend the day at our PalMar small, private beach facility and enjoy a day of snorkeling at Cozumel's premier beach entry snorkel spot! No crowds here and gates close daily with a maximum of 50 people on site! Plus Patas & Atlas Butterfly Sanctuary which, in 2018, merged with Cozumel Butterflies & Botanical Gardens is now included when open (seasonal)!
US $19 Adults / US $8 Kids - Includes FREE Drinks!
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I spent the day at Pal Mar Beach Club with my two sons. It is a marvelous place. For the first hour, we had the entire pool to ourselves, then one family joined us. It is great to be away from the cruise ship crowds at other beaches. The pool is large, and the surroundings luxurious. The beach is small, but nice, with direct access to the reefs. The food/snacks are delicious, and the price is right. I highly recommend it. T. Brinker-April 2015 ~ Glen Ellyn, IL USA
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Our family of four had several hours at Cozumel as part of our Carnival cruise. We wanted a place to snorkel and enjoy the oceanfront, but without the crowds. After our planned morning excursion, we caught a taxi to Palmar and only a few minutes drive from the cruise port. We expected some people to be there, given the cruise traffic, but it was only us and an older couple. My kids immediately took advantage of the pool, and we got a locker and were given snorkel gear and drink tickets (to turn in for beverages). The staff was courteous, friendly and helpful. It is a residence, but the house is on the back of the property, and the "clubhouse", pool, changing area and lockers are closer to the road. The cordoned off beach area is across the road and where we spent the majority of our time, sitting under the palm trees, enjoying the view mixed with some decent snorkeling (the location provides direct access to Chankanaab National Park, and snorkel boats were dropping off customers in the same areas you can swim out to from shore). We ordered ceviche (delicious!), and they brought it out to us, oceanfront. We all felt this was a great place to hang out away from the crowds of tourists, and it was a good value. Don't come expecting an Americanized sports bar playing loud English, and dozens of young people drinking as much as they can. You're not going to get that here. If you're looking for a quiet and peaceful oasis, this is a nice, convenient place to consider. Tim M. - July 2017 ~ Raleigh, NC USA
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I had a wonderful time here! Thanks so much. The staff was amazing and I essentially had my own private beach club. Perfect. Delicious guacamole, too. M. Pierce - May 2016 ~ Tampa, FL USA
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Just finished cruise to Cozumel 5/23/2015. I had looked at info about PalMar Estate before going but did not make decision to go until the day our ship ported in Cozumel. I was with a small group of 4 and it was hard to communicate with my group prior to the trip. We went downtown first and when that got old real quick, I reminded the group of this location. It was still hard to get approval by everyone. I finally said, "we are taking a chance and going". We got a taxi (the taxi drivers act like they have never heard of it, but we took the information from this site which includes directions). We are so glad we went, it was the highlight of our cruise. The bathroom was clean, the employees were so accommodating, it was away from tourist crowds and the snorkeling was terrific. Only $13 (which includes a couple of beers) each to use their facility and beach. Enrique was an employee there who made us the best Pico de Gallo and guacamole I have ever had and served us on the beach. He was so sweet, we would have put him in our pocket and taken him back to Texas with us if we could. We would go there again definitely! G. Coldwell-May 2015 ~ Dallas, TX USA
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BEAUTIFUL PRIVATE BEACH CLUB - I am so thankful to have found this wonderful place! We disembarked a Carnival Cruise ship with about 1500 other people. They headed out on some high priced cruise sponsored excursion, and we headed out to our own private beach, pool, and snack bar...complete with extremely attentive staff! They made FRESH guacamole and pico right in front of us, and mixed up some wonderful frozen drinks as well. We snorkeled to our heart's contentment and watched as boat after boat brought their customers to snorkel on the same reef that we had private access to!! It was so wonderfully relaxing and soothing. I personally recommend that you wear a life vest when snorkeling as the current can be tiring. You can stay out a lot longer with the life vest on! Sherri, thanks so much for making your beautiful property so very affordable! We will be back with our hubbies next time! We look very forward to our next visit. S. Corder - October 2016 ~ Trafford, AL USA
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