The Underwater Caves of Sac Actun ...

[donaldrsimonn]

The search for the world's most extreme measurements - biggest, highest, tallest - tends to focus above ground, gazing at towering mountains and epic canyons.


But the latest global peak statistic has come from under the soil, in the subterranean depths of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.


There, in the famously porous terrain above which the Mayan civilisation once thrived, is what is now considered to be the planet's longest underwater cave system.

[jordanemu]

A cenote is basically a natural pit, very abundant all through the Yucatán Peninsula. The Mayans believed they were portals and threw offers for their gods there. Nowadays, cenotes make a surreal tropical landscape leaving travelers from around the world speechless. They look very different from one another but here's an example of what to expect when going to a cenote:

[foyerscraper]

Tulum is considered the mecca of cave-diving with 358 cave systems in the region, totaling up to 870 miles of underwater cave. Many of the connections have been theorized and many have dedicated many years of their lives attempting to find them. The GAM team has dedicated their discovery to Bil Phillips a underwater explorer and co-founder of the Quintana Roo Speleological Survey, a database with detailed maps of these complex systems that’s used to understand and protect the area. Bill spent 40 years of his life exploring these sites and recently passed away in November of 2017.

[jordanemu]

In Tulum, Mexico the largest underwater cave has just been discovered. The cave connects two previously known flooded caves, Sac Actun and Dos Ojos, totaling up to a 215 mile stretch of underwater cave. The cave holds a large amount of fresh water reserve that supports biodiversity as well as archeological artifacts including evidence of America's first settlers, Mayan culture, and extinct animals. Until this discovery, the Ox-Bel Ha System, just south of Tulum, was the longest underwater cave at 167 miles. The Sac Actun System was ranked second at 163 miles. The third Koal Baal System and the fourth Dos Ojos System were a fraction of the length, stretching 57 miles and 52 miles respectively. As a result of this new discovery, the Dos Ojos has been added to the Sac Actun system since in the rules of caving, the smaller cave is absorbed by the larger cave. This discovery was made by an underwater exploration group of the Great Maya Aquifer Project (GAM).

[jonsmaradona]

The Sac Actun Underwater Caves are the longest known underwater cave system in the world, with a length of 215 miles. Many suspect that this cave system actually connects to more sections, which would make it even longer. The cenote (a sinkhole that has exposed the groundwater underneath) is a great spot for tourists to snorkel, dive, and take photos of interesting rock formations. I was able to use the directory as a trip guide/planner to find popular tourist attractions near me.

Here is a cool video of how to effectively use the travel directory: https://youtu.be/pfejm8TzNCw