For the months of February and September 2018, snorkeling tours will not be allowed to enter Akumal Bay in a further attempt to try and allow the ecosystem to recover from overuse (an estimated 22-23 million visitors each year visit the Akumal area, while snorkeling with the turtles in Akumal Bay is supposedly ranked the 10th most visited destination in the world for international tourists).  If you’re going to only swim and/or snorkel by yourselves without a tour guide, that is still permitted as long as the buoy restrictions are respected.

Here is a quick synopsis of the restriction from the local Riviera Maya expert (Kay and friends from Locogringo.com).  Follow the link to read it along with other articles about Akumal Bay.