HIDDEN CENOTE of the YUCATAN
#MayanRuins #Cenotes #snorkeling #PlayadelCarmen #QuintanaRoo #Yucatan #Mexico
Highlights:
2:47 Watch for the Bat
4:00 Snorkeling
Geology of the Cenotes
The Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico has a unique system of underground rivers and caves. The underlying terrain is comprised of a limestone bedrock. Limestone is a highly porous rock and over eons of time, water dissolved large portions of the limestone to create underground flowing rivers, caves, and large pools of water.
When a portion of the limestone roof collapses over time, that area is known as a cenote. And now the cenote is open for all to see and explore. Some openings are only big enough to barely fit a person and others are quite large. Some of the openings are a drop of several feet to the water or rock below and you will need a ladder or rope to enter.
Mayan History with the Cenotes
For the Mayans of the Yucatan – cenotes were an integral part of their living and religion. Cenotes were a source of clean drinking water that has been filtered through rocks over large periods of time. The Mayans used this water for drinking, bathing, and irrigating their gardens.
The Mayans also believed that the deep, underground pools of water was a gateway to the afterlife. They built temples over some cenotes and these were known as sacred cenotes. In the sacred cenotes they would perform ceremonial rituals that included animal and human sacrifices to appease the rain gods and other gods.
Bushman Photography Tour
We had signed up with an all-day photography tour with Bushman Photography out of Playa del Carmen. We had a SUV pick us up at our hotel with a driver and our photography guide – Luna, originally from Spain, but living in Mexico now.
Our first stop on the tour was a lesser-known cenote that took us several miles on a dirt road to get to. There was only one other group that we saw during the two-plus hours that we were at the cenote.
Exploring the Cave
Wading, Swimming, Snorkeling
The tour of the cenote included getting wet with wading, swimming, and snorkeling. Parts of the tour was shallow water, while other parts were deep water where you had to swim or snorkel. In addition, parts of the cenote were pitch-black where we needed flashlights to navigate and to see. Certainly not a tour for the weak-of-heart!
Cameras
I had brought two waterproof cameras with me – the GoPro Hero5 Black and the Olympus Tough TG-5. In addition, I brought my very-much, not waterproof camera - the Nikon on a tripod. I had to leave the Nikon back at the entrance for the swimming and snorkeling portion of the tour.
Animals of the Cenotes
The animals of the cenotes that we saw included several bats – both sleeping ones and some flying. We saw several fish alongside us; both small and decent-sized ones.
Animals that are known to use the open cenotes for water include deer, armadillos, tapir (a wild pig like animal), and the elusive jaguar. These animals can be seen at the more remote cenotes when there are not many people around.
How Deep does it Go?
How deep are cenotes? The cenote we visited had a crevice that went potentially hundreds of feet down. SCUBA Divers have explored as far as they could, and it continues even deeper. A cable for SCUBA divers goes down over 100 feet. Unfortunately; in other cenotes, some divers have perished in the deep waters; either getting lost or just running out of air.
Conclusion
Exploring a cenote that gets few visitors was a mystical, awe-inspiring trek back in time to the days and lives of the ancient Mayans! It was just as amazing for us and it must have been for the first Mayans to find and explore!
We will see YOU on the next adventure!
Credits
Music
Black Box by Silent Partner
Credits
HB Maverick Photography
Photographers: David Partridge (Maverick)
Mathilda Partridge
Luna Vandoorne of Bushman Photography
Cameras: Nikon D3300
Olympus TG-5
GoPro Hero5 Black
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
February 2019
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