The Yucatan Legacy: A Legendary Underworld

This Op I post in conjunction with a previous OP posted here:

Deep Dark Secrets - by TV_Nation... Which reveals the Blue holes of the Bahamas! Cavern Systems created by the same process described in this op!... Apparently he and I were on the same wavelength when compiling our next posts!.. ==

The Yucatan Legacy: A Legendary Underworld

Millions of Years ago a meteorite slammed into the Yucatan Peninsula, causing a mass extinction event to begin.



The impact crater of this event spread it's destructive elements across most of the gulf of Mexico, Mexico Mainland Proper, several other Central American countries, Several of the Carribean Islands, and parts of the Southern Gulf States here in America, in the form of a massively fractured limestone bedrock core extending downwards for several hundereds of feet, which after millenia of erosion formed underground caverns filled with fluids of various forms. Fresh Water, Salt water, Hydrogen Sulphide, Methane hydroxide, even LPG, Tar, and Crude Oil.



(Blue Hole of Belize)

The Aztech and Mayan cultures of Mexico called these caverns Cenotes (say-no-tayz). The Riviera Maya Cenotes are among some of the most lavishly decorated and extensive systems of submerged caves in the world.





These sacred Mayan waters have 100% perfect visibility, minimal to no flow and a relatively shallow depth.





The majority of the dives are between 10 and 25 meters/ 30 and 75 feet. Some go even deeper still... and farther than imagination can tell!...



This allows for long dive times, whilst remaining within safe decompression limits.





Added to this the diver is further spoiled as the water temperature is a continuous 24C/75f all year .





With extensive passageways, speleothems, water densities and the optical illusions they produce, plus the very delicate fresh water cave life, the area has much to offer well beyond the world of the oceans, to which the cenotes pour into, meandering their way underground.



These underwater caverns offer unique diving experiences. Some centotes burrow underneath the seafloor, filled with fresh water that extends far out under the ocean seabed.



Cenote Angelita actually is a layered cenote containing three atmospheres, one in fresh water, one in salt water, and the lower layer hydrogen sulphide, which forms what appears to become an Underwater River! 30 meters deep, fresh water, then 60 meters deep – salty water and a river (H2S), island and fallen leaves…



Cenotes of the Mayan and Aztech riviera are fast becomming a hunter's paradise, with treasures and archeological finds unimaginable.







It is speculated that there are thousands of cenotes that remain undiscovered.











Those that have been discovered are:

Angelita:



Chac Mool:





The Pit:











Taj Mah:





Ponderossa:



Coba:



Choola:





Dos Ojos:



Gran Cenote:



Chikin Ha:



Dream Gate:



Pet Cemetary:



Takbe Ha:







CarWash:



Continued...

Tank Ha:



Xibalba:





Nohoch Na Chich:



There are others, but you'll have to find out about those yourselves! So now that your temptations have been stroked ... Go Dive a Cenote!!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b536045239f6.jpg[/atsimg]

A WORD OF CAUTION!!!

The rules for diving in an overhead environment are very different to that of diving in the open water.

Cave diving is notoriously unforgiving to those prone to making mistakes. Indeed, the art of cave rescue diving is a limited one in terms of what can be achieved, and the training course in this field is still called Body Recovery. To avoid using these resources, cave divers require as much mental awareness as they can muster. Getting in is easy. Getting out is the important part. Cameras are amazingly complicated instruments, and have the potential to suck the concentration away from divers as they transfix their attention to the mesmerizing caves. A little loss of awareness to obtain the right shot can easily make the little seed of doubt grow huge, and then all hell can break loose. So there are some basic rules. Learn them before going gung ho into Cenote Diving...



I hope this has been an enjoyable experience for you...

I have friends who would love to dive places like this. Some absolutely stunning pictures there OP, a definate S+F.

Another aspect I'm game for is these deep 'bowel of the earth' caverns you hear about that go down 6 thousand feet, then end in lakes or rivers of water.... Diving in this environment might tempt me... lol, but I cant imagine how dangerous that might get without an extremely supportive network system to enable the expedition!... ==

beautiful pics,

thank you!