The
unique dive experience
The Yucatan peninsula was originally under the ocean and the region's
limestone foundation is fossilized coral beds and ocean floor. There are
no above ground rivers in this area, all of the ground water sinks through
the porous limestone and travels to the sea in underground rivers. Parts
of the limestone weakened over time and collapsed, leaving sinkholes filled
with water - a cenote.
During the ice ages, portions of the underground rivers
dried up and water dripping through the limestone left mineral deposits
in beautiful formations. Decorations - stalactites and stalagmites - formed
in the caves and caverns, and were covered with water when the rivers
began flowing once again. Specially trained cave divers enter these cave
systems through the cenote entrances.
Cave diving - specially trained divers
There are over 1 million feet of explored cave passages in the area South
of Cancun. These systems are large, relatively shallow and highly decorated
with limestone formations. To cave divers, this means long bottom times,
virtually unlimited dive sites to explore, and beautiful dives.
You can get a glimpse into a cave diver's world
at the IMAX movie Journey into
Amazing Caves which features local cave diver and dive instructor,
Jorge González.
Cave
divers use specialized equipment to dive in caves underneath the ground.
Divers interested in cave diving should get specialized training first.
Much of the underground realm remains unexplored, and groups of cave
divers are constantly at work discovering new cenotes and laying new lines
See Mexico
Cave Diving to learn about cave exploration with Grupo Exploration
Ox Bel Ha. This group was featured on the BBC/Discovery series Planet Earth.
Very dangerous, so get certified first
Anyone can snorkel or swim in a cenote,
but you should never dive in a cenote, cavern or cave unless you are certified
to do so or have a certified guide with you. The safety basic rule is
do not to dive anywhere you can't see without a light.
People
die by scuba diving in cenote caverns and caves without training.
It is dark down there and easy to get lost in a cave and not be able to
find your way out. See the National
Association for Cave Diving for more information.
If you are a certified open wa ter
diver, you can dive in a cenote cavern
with a qualified guide. If you are an experienced diver you can learn
to cave dive with expert teachers. Mayatech
and Zero Gravity offer expert cave and cavern dive training.
Take care of your ears
after swimming so you don't get sick.
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