subject: Sacred Waters: Snorkelling Expidition In Mayan Cenote [print this page] Sacred Waters: Snorkelling Expidition In Mayan Cenote
The Yucatan Peninsula in Southern Mexico is a dry place. Flat as a pancake, housing no rivers and with only few swampy lakes, the jungle somehow managed to sustain one of the biggest and most advanced civilisations of its time. How exactly did the Mayans live for so long in this area without succumbing to drought resulting from lack of healthy potable water? The answer, quite simply, is the cenotes.
From the Mayan word ts'onot, meaning well, the cenotes are the exposed surfaces of underground water systems, often revealed in a form similar to sinkholes basically big circular pools of water. Apparently the Yucatan is home to the biggest single underwater cave system in the world, thanks to the fact that the entire peninsula is essentially sitting on a large layer of soluble limestone. These cave systems often make their way to the surface and thus the cenotes are revealed.
Interestingly, there are theories that the cenotes were originally formed 65 million years ago from the impact of the Chicxulub asteroid; that being the impact that caused the mass extinction of the dinosaurs and marked the transition from the Cretaceous Period to the Tertiary Period, otherwise known as the K-T Boundary. The asteroid smashed into the north-western portion of the Yucatan and remains to this day one of the largest impact craters on earth. There is a higher-than-normal concentration of cenotes around what would have been the lip of the crater, and this formation has been dubbed the Ring of Cenotes'.
Regardless of their conception, the simple fact is that the Mayan culture would have been unable to flourish without the influence of the cenotes, and this is evident in the important roles they played in the ancient culture. They were often revered by the Mayans and were certainly central to a number of influential religious ceremonies. Today the cenotes are a major tourist attraction, not just for their history but also for the numerous activities that they offer.
Our first cenote experience was in the town of Valladolid, found near the centre of the Yucatan Peninsula. Cenote Zaci is found a short walk from the city centre and so provided an easy way of sampling the sacred waters. A quick stoop through an open cave suddenly opened out into a huge pit at least fifty feet below us, green water filled with swimming tourists. The pool was half covered under a cave roof complete with stalactites and bats and the jungle leaned in over the water. An artificially constructed walkway was cut into the stone around the cenote and provided ample viewing platforms. The scale of the cenote was larger than we both expected and I found it surprisingly majestic, although the water itself didn't look overly clean.
Our next glimpse of a cenote occurred a few days later when we visited the ruins of Chichen Itza. Known as the Sacred Cenote, it is the very reason that the ancient city sprang up in this particular place, and also the subject of some very dark rumours. Legend has it that the Mayans used to throw virgins into the cenote as a sacrifice to the gods, chucking them in at dawn and returning at dusk. If the virgin was still alive after treading water all day then she would be hauled out to make prophetic observations regarding crops and weather. The truth of these stories is hotly debated but it cannot be ignored that an inordinate amount of skeletons have been pulled up from the depths of the Sacred Cenote.
Our final cenote experience was by far the most memorable as it gave us an opportunity to snorkel and dive through an underwater cave system just north of Tulum. I first decided to do this prior to leaving Australia after watching the wondrous segment on BBC's Planet Earth documentary, where they dived in Dos Ojos. It showed a remarkable underwater landscape and I longed to experience it for myself.
At Tulum we decided to travel to the nearby Hidden Worlds adventure park for our snorkel adventure, primarily because it has access to the Dos Ojos system. From the main foyer area we walked about five hundred metres or so into the jungle to arrive at a small sign and shelves, next to what was essentially a deep hole in the ground. We stripped down, put on our life jackets and were guided down into the hole, where it descended about thirty feet into a cold and dank cave.
The first thing we noticed was the sharp drop in temperature. Above ground it was stiflingly hot and humid, whereas thirty feet underground the air was dank and chilly. We walked hesitantly along a plank of wood to the waters edge, where we dipped a toe in to receive an unwelcome but not unsurprising shock the water was absolutely freezing. Nevertheless we waded in with our shorts and swimmers, following our guide who was in a full wetsuit, to begin our snorkelling tour.
What followed was an hour of the most amazing experiences that I have yet encountered. The scenery was breathtaking floodlights illuminated crystal clear water, revealing spectacular rocky formations as well as ominous underwater caverns that darkened away into the depths. It would have been quite eerie if not for the keen sense of wonder that I felt as I floated around.
Unfortunately Renee did not fare quite as well, and indeed the deeper areas and the unknown that they hid caused her some concern. I can understand why, especially when we arrived at a long and narrow section where the lights had stopped working. We made our way through by touch, a faint illumination ahead the only reference point, the darkness around us nearly palpable in its entirety and the only sounds Renee's shallow and rapid breath. We emerged unscathed though into another spacious cavern to marvel at the rocks around us and the multitude of Glow Worms that hung from the ceiling, before reluctantly returning to the surface.
Three cenotes, three different experiences. They are truly wondrous in their diversity, and I thoroughly recommend experiencing as many as you can. The snorkelling was without a doubt the highlight and I can only imagine how amazing it would be to dive these caverns. If I was to ever get my diving license, there is no doubt that I would return to Dos Ojos to be amazed all over again.
