Location: Playa del Carmen, Cenotes
Date: 18 September 2011
OMG today was the day we actually went Cavern diving. This area of mexico is very famous for its Cenotes. So I wikipedia-ed it and it says:
Cenotes are surface connections to subterranean water bodies. While the best-known cenotes are large open water pools measuring tens of meters (yards) in diameter, such as those at Chichén Itzá, the greatest number of cenotes are smaller sheltered sites and do not necessarily have any surface exposed water. The term cenote has also been used to describe similar karst features in other countries such as Cuba and Australia, in addition to the more generic term of sinkholes.
Cenote water is often very clear, as the water comes from rain water infiltrating slowly through the ground, and therefore contains very little suspended particulate matter. The groundwater flow rate within a cenote may be very slow at velocities ranging from 1 to 1,000 meters (3 to 3,000 ft) per year. In many cases, cenotes are areas where sections of cave roof have collapsed revealing an underlying cave system, and the water flow rates here may be much faster: up to 10 kilometers (6 mi) per day. Cenotes around the world attract cave diverswho have documented extensive flooded cave systems through them, some of which have been explored for lengths of 100 km (62 mi) or more.
We all knew that is was going to happen during our IDC, needless to say we were al pretty excited when the day finally arrived. First we gat a tour around the surface area of the cenotes including some background info.
Cavern diving i a pretty serious side of diving however it is also very much excting and FUN! I felt like a kid in a candy store and could not wait to get in the water. The water was FREEEZING ( 24degrees) and I was very happy with my 6,5mm wetsuit... all nice and warm me felt!
Going into the Cenote is a very strange feeling as this is something i hadn't done it before so the anxiety ( the good one) did kick in followed by a big AHHHHHHH ( without dropping the reg from my mouth obviously). WHat an amazing world down there. Going from light to dark from fresh water to salt from cold to warm and from a stalagmite to mangrove. One word.. AMAAZING! So wanna get my cavern diving certificate now....more studying to do!
We finished the day with traditional Mexican taco's @ paco's :) could not have been a better day!!
Ayooooo
Marijke
