A NEW DESTINATION
In 2017, an old friend took us to his hometown in the middle of the State of Yucatan, with the idea of bringing divers to the town’s cenotes to stimulate the local economy. The town is a new dive destination, and while we are still exploring in the region, we already have several fantastic dive sites in the area.
DEEP, DARK, AND MYSTERIOUS
The massive sinkholes in the State of Yucatan dwarf the cenotes in Quintana Roo. These sinkhole cenotes don’t have much horizontal cave, but they do have brilliant light effects, ancient remains, and unique geology. You don’t have to exceed the recreational depth limits to enjoy them, but with maximum depths of 65 to 118 meters, you’ll want to go deep if you have a decompression or trimix certification.
Have you been to Angelita? Did you like The Pit? Yucatan sinkholes, are bigger, deeper, and more spectacular than the sinkholes in Quintana Roo. We are working to open this new and remote dive location — and we are not finished yet! There’s a ton left to explore, but we already have several dive sites that are ready to go. The price of an excursion will depend on how many cenotes you want to visit, and how many days you want to spend in the area. This can be a long day trip or a several-day excursion. Email us, and we can make a custom plan for you.
THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
There’s “off the beaten path” and then there is “the middle of nowhere.” Sinkhole expeditions qualify as the latter. This sort of diving isn’t for everyone, but if you are an adventurous soul who is willing to go for a long drive and deal with difficult logistics to see absolutely pristine dive sites, sinkholes might be just your thing.
WHAT CERTIFICATION DO I NEED TO DIVE IN SINKHOLES?
No special certification is needed to dive in these sinkholes. It is possible to dive them as open water dives within the recreational depth limits, as cavern dives penetrating a short distance into the overhead, or as technical dives, using decompression procedures and even trimix to maximize the dive time and depth.
HOW MUCH DOES A SINKHOLE TRIP COST?
Due to the distance and logistics, sinkhole trips cost more than standard cavern tours. How much? As a new destination, we don’t have fixed pricing/excursions worked out. Let us know what your diving level is, how deep you want to go, and how many days you want to dive at the sinkholes, and we can work out a custom plan for you.
SINKHOLE PHOTOS
THE ENTRANCE AT CENOTE KAI PECH
Kai Pech is one of the biggest sinkholes we have seen, with a picturesque entrance through a karst window at the one side of the sinkhole. The cenote is located on a cow ranch, and requires divers to lower the tanks on ropes down to the cenote. So bring boots that you don’t mind getting dirty and a spirit of adventure.
DESCENT INTO UCIL
Cenote Ucil is a deep sinkhole, reaching a reported 118 meters of depth. Sheck Exley was the first person to dive in this sinkhole, which was subsequently pushed by a series of divers until Andreas Matthes reported the maximum depth in the late 1990’s.
WALL DETAIL AT UCIL
Yucatan sinkholes have different geology than Quintana Roo caves. Many of the sinkholes are lined with black, fractured rock that looks spooky and mysterious. On sunny days, a vertical light beam makes this dive world-class.
THE ENTRY PLATFORM AT CENOTE XOCH
Cenote Xoch is another massive sinkhole that goes to at least 67 meters on the western side. The above water view is spectacular, and there is even a short dry cave to visit. This is another place where tanks must be lowered with rope: the way down to the cenote is via a metal fire escape.
CAVE AT CENOTE XOCH
During our first exploration dive at Cenote Xoch, we discovered a short horizontal cave at 15-18 meters of depth. The passage loops back into the main sinkhole, so while it’s not a long penetration, it makes a fun swim through for certified cavern and cave divers.
DESCENT AT CENOTE XOCH
The walls of Cenote Xoch are lined with stippled rock covered with a reddish algae, which makes for a unusual color contrast between the blue/green water and the rock. In 2018, we observed freshwater sponges, blindfish, and isopods in the cenote.
