'Swimming into the unknown:' Mexico's unmapped underwater caves - in pictures

[Judi Lynn]

Photographer Klaus Thymann has been exploring the underwater cave system of the Yucatán peninsula, diving 1km underwater to where salt and freshwater meet. By mapping areas that have been untouched by modern civilisation, he hopes to raise awareness of the natural and human heritage of this unique ecosystem that will hopefully result in greater protection. He talks to Eric Hilaire about making his journey into a film, Flows, featuring music by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke

Thu 17 May 2018 01.00 EDT

I am about to climb down a 10-metre rope ladder into a manhole-sized gap in the floor of the Mexican jungle on the Yucatán peninsula, to dive an underwater cave system, exploring paths where no one has ever been in modern history.

You may be familiar with cenotes, or sink holes, the beautiful wells filled with tempting blue water, but this hole does not look like that. Why would anyone want to head down there is a good question but we are exploring places where no one has been since the Mayans. This place doesn’t exist on any maps. My objective is to explore places with the view to bringing about environmental awareness, hopefully resulting in protection.

I am with fellow cave diver and explorer Alex Reato, in his 4x4 pick-up loaded with equipment, and accompanied by our four porters. As we head into the jungle the vegetation around the road gets denser and denser.

We get out, put on mosquito repellant and start walking into the jungle, carrying camera kit, dive tanks and GPS sets. The GPS point is our only real reference in the jungle as the vegetation is all too similar to navigate by.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/17/swimming-into-the-unknown-mexicos-unmapped-underwater-caves-in-pictures

[Snackshack]

1. This is an...

Extremely dangerous thing to do. I can barely watch the shows about this. My anxiety goes thru the roof watching these people squeeze thru some of the small openings where they have to take their tanks off to get thru...wow.

[Bradshaw3]

2. I once leapt down a 15-foot hole into a cenote - awesome!

I was staying outside of Tulum where the cabana owner set me up with some Mayan kids who led me deep into the jungle to this 10-foot round opening in the jungle with crystal clear water at the bottom leading to an underground cave. Turns out there were three American military looking guys there with expensive equipment diving into it, with an older Mexican guide (yes diving them is extremely dangerous). One of them yelled "jump" so I did and sailed down - coolest dive I ever had. Just amazingly clear pure water - a rare experience for me. They had a rope ladder to get back up like the one in the story. The kids then took me to another one that was like a good-sized pond and full of tropical fish. It was magical.

So I really enjoyed looking at these pics and the story. One added takeaway - the benefit of getting to be in another culture, even just a litte, and getting to know the people, even just a little, led me to an experience most tourists in the Yucatan will never get. Contrary to our current ascendancy of bigotry, the world is full of wonderful people and fascinating cultures and places - if one's mind is open to them.

Thanks for posting this article.