Cenote Diving
Cenote Diving in Riviera Maya offers divers an underwater experience they will never forget. Maple Leaf Scuba is partnered with trusted operators to provide you the greatest diving experience while exploring the cenotes along the Riviera Maya. When in Mexico, come explore these underwater caverns in a scuba diving adventure of a lifetime.
Cenote Diving
What are cenotes?
Cenotes are sinkholes which are formed from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath.
Where are they located?
On the Riviera Maya, there are hundreds of cenotes between Cancun and Tulum.
Many of these cenotes have been explored and mapped by cave divers and exploration still continues today. Unfortunately, only a few cenotes have a big enough cavern area to provide room for cavern diving.
The World’s three longest underwater cave systems are located in the Riviera Maya:
- Ox Bel Ha - 129km
- Nohoch Nah Chich - 61km
- Dos Ojos - 56km
Are there any risks associated with Cavern Diving?
Cavern diving has some risks and limitations. The diving takes place in an overhead environment; a direct ascent to the surface may not always being possible. Divers must be accompanied by a qualified and professional cavern diving guide.
What are the most popular Cavern Dives?
Dos Ojos is the most popular cavern dives and the most visited of the Riviera Maya’s cenotes.
There are two sites within the system of Dos Ojos. They include the Bat Cave and the Barbie Line.
The Bat Cave dive is the darker of the two dives. The line takes you through smaller and darker areas of the Dos Ojos cavern zone. It is usually done as a second dive.
The Barbie Line leads the diver into a very large open cavern area with lots of light penetration. It is decorated with many beautiful columns and enormous Stalagmites and Stalactites formations which can be admired throughout the whole dive. The dives are shallow giving divers plenty of bottom time to enjoy the beautifully decorated system.
Are there more popular deep cavern dives?
EL PIT
El Pit is a favorite for those wanting more of a challenge. El Pit is just 2.8k past Dos Ojos. It is a deep dive and has the best light penetration. Here you will find stalactites of all shapes and sizes. If you look up, you can watch the laser beams of the sunlight penetrating the gash from below. An unbelievable experience!
ANGELITA (Advanced divers only)
Angelita is another popular deep cavern dive. Cenote Angelita offers divers a very different experience. It is located approximately 15 minutes south of Tulum.
The popularity of this sinkhole is a thick layer of hydrogen sulfide at approximately 100 ft/30 m which was formed through rotten vegetation. This layer creates a sort of mystical cloud between the salt and fresh water.
The hydrogen sulfide cloud looks like a riverbed beneath you, complete with large branches of trees, and even leaves, coming up out of it. It actually looks like something you would see on land while walking through a forest in autumn but instead, you are completely submerged underwater.
Descend past this cloud-like layer to enter the saltwater portion of this site. It will be dark, as the sulfide cloud above you will cut out most of the light. Finally, on the way back up, you will pass by massive stalactites as a pleasant surprise along the way.
You have to really experience it to understand just how breathtaking it is. The cenote descends to 180 ft/60m, a depth which should only be dived if you are trained to do so.
More Information
Inquire within, for more information on cenote diving in the Riviera Maya or information on cave diving. We have teamed up with some of the most experienced cave divers in the Riviera Maya. Contact us today.
