At one time in my life - my mother contended it was before I got a brain - I was an amateur spelunker. Based on my caving experiences I developed a strong desire to scuba dive through a cave system; a desire only recently fulfilled. While visiting Mexico's Riviera Maya, Lois and I descended into the Dos Ojos cenote, to swim among the columns formed by stalactites and stalagmites, lit occasionally by shafts of light from the sun peeking through holes in the limestone rock above our heads.
Cenote - Cave diving in Riviera Maya With Hidden Worlds
Our experience with Hidden Worlds was perfect for a beginner cave diver. The first of the two dives was named Dos Ojos (Two Eyes). The fresh water was crystal clear, and with powerful spotlights it was akin to a night dive through a magical garden of thousands of stalactites, stalagmites and columns. The cave is wide open, and we stayed at a fairly constant depth of 25 feet for most of the dive (maximum depth was 30 feet). An orange string has been placed in the cave to act as a "road sign" and guide divers. Along the way there are several places where you can see the sky and come up for air, making it an ideal first cave dive. Dos Ojos is also a good opportunity for the dive master to qualify the divers for more technical dives in other areas of the cave system.Lois opted to warm up above ground, while I made a second, more technical dive, in the Bat Cave. Reportedly, parts of the IMAX film "Journey into amazing Caves" was filmed in this cave system. I could see why. After completing this second dive, I was as stoked as after my first open water dive. In this cave there is only one place to surface and there are constant depth changes between 20 and 40 feet, necessitating constant ear equalization because you often can't rise more than four or five feet to help equalize ear pressure. The dive again was fantastic with formations beyond number. If you think of them as just rocks, as does one of my local dive shop owners, stick with reef diving. There aren't many fish here. But, if you have your "C" card, at least a few dozen dive logged and have good buoyancy control, this is an ideal place to try cave diving or cenote diving as they refer to it in this area of Mexico.Cenote - Cave diving - Can Be Dangerous
It must be recognized that cave diving can be extremely dangerous. You can't surface if you have a problem. If you don't have good buoyancy control you can smack your head on a stalactite or the ceiling. You can get lost. You can get stuck. You can have equipment problems and a myriad of other potentially dangerous situations that can lead to the ultimate problem of running out of air.Diving with a cavern certified dive master who knows the cenote or cave you are exploring is vital. Juan Carlos Alvarez, our dive master who says he has made more than 1,500 dives in this cave system, was a good as any we've experienced with many dives under our weight belts.
There are many questionable operators promoting cenote diving. Some will take a diver with just a resort dive course or divers with limited experience. You want to arrange the cenote or cave dives with a PADI or other certified shop and check them out carefully. If night diving freaks you out, or if you're really claustrophobic, or if you have trouble maintaining your buoyancy, this is probably not for you. For all other certified divers a set up like Dos Ojos will open up a new world. Give it a try.
Cenote - Cave diving - in Mexico With Hidden Worlds
We went scuba diving in Dos Ojos with Hidden Worlds. Our rental equipment was first rate. Maximum group size is limited to four and as an extra safety precaution, divers start back to the entry point with two-thirds of a tank of air. (Juan dove with a double tank rig.) Visit Hidden Worlds Cenotes for more information about diving in the Dos Ojos cenote. We paid $60US each for the first dive. The second dive that I took was an additional $40US. Equipment rental is $15US.More Adventure Travel Experiences in the Riviera Maya and Cancun, Mexico
Visits to the adventure parks, snorkeling or scuba diving, horseback riding and ATV tours are easily arranged for adventurous travelers staying in the Riviera Maya or neighboring CancunAt Xplor there's an entire world of underground adventures including swimming and rafting in underground rivers. Above the earth's crust, there's a network of zip lines that looks like freeways in the sky, and a three-mile track where you can drive an amphibious buggy through the jungle, into caves and on suspension bridges over water.
Riding a SkyCycle through the treetops at Hidden Worlds you can stop to enjoy the scenery and listen to the birds sing. The family-oriented Hidden Worlds adventure park is tucked into the jungle. Here, you can also ride a zipline or rappel into a centoe. The staff is bilingual at this non-profit park (proceeds go to benefit varous Third C World causes) and many of the people working at the park are members of the local Mayan community.
If you want to escape from crowded beaches, go horseback riding along a beach and in the surf, take an ATV ride through the jungle, or go kayaking and snorkeling off a private, pristine beach, plan at day at Punta Venado.
Most of these adventure parks and dive operations offer transportation to and from hotels and lodging in Riviera Maya and Cancun, for a fee.
