BBC - Cave divers explore the Yucatan?s underwater world

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05299m7  clip from main programme


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08r78bv  Full programme - Forests of the Maya from Mexico Earths festival of Life

Shame these wild-life programmes aren't backed up by proper science. For instance, they said that limestone is porous; also that limestone is soft (he's obviously never tripped up on a limestone pavement).

Then ? such and such a monkey 'was designed' for something or other; no, it evolved.

Some bird 'was designed' for catching bats; not, it evolved to catch bats.

'The gods are smiling (or some such rot) this year, as the rains have come'; OK, so it's tongue in cheek. But why do they kow-tow to superstitious nonsense?

'It's a remarkable fact that the water in the cenotes "flows"'; well it would, wouldn't it? Otherwise it would just rise up and flood the whole place. Although I accept that it's remarkable that it flows over what seem to be very long distances.

'Salt water is heavier than fresh water'; no, it's denser.

Perhaps the most remarkable fact about the underwater caverns was totally ignored ? that they are full of formations, which means that at one time they must have been above water.

Fulk: Today at 09:42:13 pm ? Perhaps the most remarkable fact about the underwater caverns was totally ignored ? that they are full of formations, which means that at one time they must have been above water.

Click to expand...

So has the water risen or the ground sunk?

Well, I assume that water levels fell in the last Ice Age when lots of water was locked up as ice, as a result of which sea levels fell, and the caves formed with air in them. Then when the ice melted sea levels rose again.

I've been to Dos Ojos Cenote complex which is connected to Ox Bel Ha , the other Yucatan giant system. This was just on a tourist holiday to Tulum. Highway 307 runs down from Playa del Carmen to Tulum and passes en route many cenotes open to the public - including Cenote Manati (ex Casa Cenote) which was on the film. The Mayans also used cenotes for making human sacrifice, usually of virgins.

The exploration parks of Xel Ha & Xplor also use the resurgences at the Caribbean end and include buggy and boat trips underground. It's a bit like Gulliver's Matlock Bath but warmer. There is a show cave Rio Secreto up near Cancun which runs eco tours - the formations are spectacular. Fun for all the family.