Cenotes are caverns created when the ceiling of a flooded limestone cave collapses. The eastern states of Quintana Roo and Yucat\u00e1n in Mexico are dotted with thousands of these unique formations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many cenotes are connected through the longest flooded cave system ever discovered, which is 346 kilometers (215 miles) long! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These pools are filled with crystal clear water, and the Mayans regarded them as sacred sources of drinking water and portals to the underworld.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t
- Scuba Diving in Mexico\u2019s Cenotes<\/a>
- Best Cenote Dive Sites<\/a>
- Quintana Roo<\/a>
- Dos Ojos<\/a>
- The Pit<\/a>
- Car Wash \/ Aktun Ha<\/a>
- El Eden \/ Ponderosa<\/a>
- Zapote \/ Hell\u2019s Bells<\/a>
- Chac Mool<\/a>
- Angelita<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
- M\u00e9rida<\/a>
- Kankirixch\u00e9<\/a>
- X'Bat\u00fan<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- How to Get There<\/a>
- Where to Stay<\/a>
- Recommended Dive Shops<\/a>
- Cave Diving Training (Akumal)<\/a>
- Phoc\u00e9a (Playa Del Carmen)<\/a>
- Diving Yucat\u00e1n (Merida)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Cenote Diving FAQs<\/a>
- What certification do I need to dive in cenotes?<\/a>
- What is the difference between cavern and cave diving?<\/a>
- Can I take certification courses in the cenotes?<\/a>
- What type of specialty courses can i take for cavern diving?<\/a>
- How much does it cost to dive in cenotes?<\/a>
- What time of the year can you dive in cenotes?<\/a>
- Is it safe to dive in cenotes?<\/a>
- Is it eco-friendly to dive in cenotes?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Conclusion<\/a><\/ul><\/ul><\/ul><\/ul><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\n
Scuba Diving in Mexico\u2019s Cenotes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"scuba](\"https:\/\/divingcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/divers-cenote-mexico-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\nScuba diving in a cenote is unlike diving anywhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, you will have to drive through the jungle until you reach the dive site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cenotes are surrounded by trees and often have vines hanging down into the opening in the ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After donning your scuba gear, you may have to descend some stairs or leap a few meters into the sinkhole. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The water stays cool \u2013 around 24\u00b0C (75\u00b0F) \u2013 year-round, so most divers wear a thick wetsuit. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
While cenotes do have some native wildlife, the main attractions are the geological features you won\u2019t find anywhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The word Cenote <\/em>comes from the Mayan word dzonot, which means “well”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you descend, you\u2019ll notice the stunning clarity of the fresh water. In many cenotes, visibility is so close to perfect that it looks as though you\u2019re swimming through the air<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunlight filtered through the trees above creates beams of light in the water. The walls of the caverns often have dramatic rock formations, including the sharp stalagmites and stalactites found in dry caves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some cenotes feature a visible halocline where a layer of fresh water sits on top of a layer of salt water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"cenote](\"https:\/\/divingcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/cenote-underwater-cave-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\nHaloclines can create the illusion that you\u2019re swimming on top of underwater rivers within the cavern, which is a fascinating experience. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
In the deeper cenotes, you may also find a cloud of hydrogen sulfide sitting at the bottom. Dead branches often reach through the cloud, creating the eerie impression of a foggy swamp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the gas cloud would normally be toxic if breathed, swimming through it is perfectly safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Descending through the cloud, visibility drops close to zero. Underneath the cloud, the bottom of the cenote is a dark landscape of fallen leaves and branches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some cenotes are open caverns where the entrance is always visible. Other cenotes are made up of passageways and smaller caverns where daylight doesn\u2019t reach. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Many cenotes are more like a lake and have no ceiling at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"scuba](\"https:\/\/divingcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/cenote-yucatan-diver-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe wildlife you can find in cenotes varies widely. In the dark and isolated caverns, you may be lucky to see small crustaceans or catfish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the more open cenotes that have thriving plant life, you can sometimes see turtles and schools of fish. Some cenotes are home to specialized species found nowhere else, like blind fish and blind eels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve heard that some cenotes even have a resident friendly crocodile! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since cenotes were places of Mayan ritual sacrifice, artifacts and bones have been found in many of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Archaeologists have removed most artifacts for study and documentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Cenote Dive Sites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Quintana Roo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Dos Ojos<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"dos](\"https:\/\/divingcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dos-ojos-cave-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\nDos Ojos (\u201ctwo eyes\u201d) is a truly impressive cenote and my personal favorite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are two lines you can follow: the Bat Cave Line or the Barbie Line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bat Cave Line leads you through chambers of varying sizes with thousands of pointed rock formations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A flashlight helps you illuminate the passageways between chambers, as some areas are completely dark. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
You surface to view and listen to a cave full of bats, then descend again to complete the dive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Barbie Line is more brightly illuminated but still features impressive formations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s only 9 meters (29 feet) deep, but cavern divers should be comfortable in darkness and overhead environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pit<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"the](\"https:\/\/divingcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/the-pit-cenote-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Pit is the world\u2019s largest underwater cave! It\u2019s one immense cavern that divers can explore in a circular pattern. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Sun rays penetrate the cave mouth and shine on a hydrogen sulfide cloud at 30 meters (100 feet). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can observe a halocline around 11 meters (36 feet). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My guide showed us a few small bones under a rock, but I suspect they were just chicken bones placed there on purpose to intrigue tourists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The maximum depth for this gran cenote<\/strong> dive is 40 meters (120 feet) and some dive shops require an qualified cave divers<\/strong> with<\/strong> advanced certification.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Car Wash \/ Aktun Ha<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
- What is the difference between cavern and cave diving?<\/a>
- Phoc\u00e9a (Playa Del Carmen)<\/a>
- X'Bat\u00fan<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- The Pit<\/a>
- Dos Ojos<\/a>
- Best Cenote Dive Sites<\/a>
![\"scuba](\"https:\/\/divingcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/divers-cenote-mexico-1024x683.webp)
<\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"cenote](\"https:\/\/divingcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/cenote-underwater-cave-1024x683.webp)
<\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"scuba](\"https:\/\/divingcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/cenote-yucatan-diver-1024x683.webp)
<\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"dos](\"https:\/\/divingcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/dos-ojos-cave-1024x683.webp)
<\/picture><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"the](\"https:\/\/divingcorner.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/the-pit-cenote-1024x683.webp)
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