The reflections from our torches in the flooded caverns cast an otherworldly glow on the white limestone walls.
Although the cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula have been around for millions of years, they have only recently been explored. In 1987, the first cave explorers ventured into the submerged passageways of what is now recognized as the largest underwater cave system in the world. Dos Ojos, as it's called, Two Eyes in Spanish, is located 15 minutes outside the town of Tulum. This extensive flooded cave system spans well over 380 km and counting. Each section has to be painstakingly measured by hand. More passages are continually being mapped and discovered daily. In October 2018, the connection between the Dos Ojos and the Sac Aktun system was discovered by a team of cave divers forming the world's largest flooded cave system. It is also simultaneously considered the world's largest and most important archeological site to date, holding thousands of Mayan artifacts, tools, ancient human remains and extinct animal remains in its submerged tunnels. This system is a perfectly preserved time capsule of Mayan culture, flora, and even has evidence of the first settlers of the Americas dating over 14,000 years old! It took nearly two decades to find the connecting passageway but after thousands of hours and a seemingly endless amount of tanks later it finally happened! Currently, the second-ranked largest submerged cave system in the world called Ox Bel Ha is continuing to be explored. It is believed with 270 km of mapped passageways that there is a connection to the Sac Aktun system which would further expand this vast labyrinth of interconnected tunnels. This alien world of mazes and mystery will only reveal more secrets given time, proper training, and a hefty sense of adventure. So remember, practice responsible tourism when coming to see this invaluable slice of history.