A Simple Trip to Playa del Carmen That Became More

What began as a routine visit to Playa del Carmen turned into a few meaningful days underwater — lionfish hunting, a trip to Cenote Angelita, and the reminder that even simple moments can become something more.

(Be sure to scroll below the story to view the photos for this trip.)

Sometimes a trip doesn’t start out as one. No pre-determined agenda, just a blip on your journey. Here I was down in Playa del Carmen on an otherwise meaningless trip to take care of business that comes along with owning a home in a foreign country, when I found myself yearning for an opportunity to do something good for the ocean.

I received a phone call from a friend saying that he was getting some friends together on Easter for a lionfish hunt. Even though I don’t mind culling lionfish from time to time, I wouldn’t call myself a lionfish hunter, nor do I get a rise out of killing them, even if it’s for a good cause—for those that don’t know, lionfish are an invasive species not native to these parts, and they are decimating reef life since they have no natural predators. However, on this occasion I said “why not” and went about doing some unplanned good.

After hunting lionfish for a couple of days, my friend took me down to Cenote Angelita south of Tulum. That led to the real reason for this post: a chance to share a handful of the images I captured while spending a few otherwise uneventful days in my second home. As I said, sometimes a trip just becomes one. Enjoy!  CaaS

Gallery: From Angelita’s haunting blue depths to the bright reefs of Casa Cenote, these moments capture a few unexpected days underwater—quiet, simple, and full of small discoveries.