THE EXPEDITION

Cenotes, Yucatan, Mexico. Hidden In the depths below the peninsula of Yucatan in Mexico a new world is opening up to scuba divers. A huge cave system stretches through large parts of the area with thousands of sinkholes allowing humans to enter a magical place.

These cenotes offer a completely different scuba diving experience with overhangs, limestone caverns and light rays piercing through crystal clear waters and personally we think they are one of the most magical things in the world. The Yucatan Peninsula is home to the greatest number and variety of cave and cavern diving sites in the world. Let us tell you more about one of mothers natures greatest gifts..

THE CENOTES

A "cenote" is a natural sinkhole created where a cave ceiling has collapsed. The Mayan considered cenotes to be an entrance to their "underworld" where their gods live and their spirits reside after death.

A combination of geologic events and climatic change has led to the development of these unique ecosystems. Millions of years ago, the Yucatan peninsula was a giant reef set under several feet of ocean water. During the last ice age, the ocean level dropped (water levels were approximately 300 feet lower than their present day levels), exposing the reef to the surface. The coral died, and jungle grew over the mile thick limestone platform created by the coral reef. Massive cave systems were formed, inside the caves the geological formations such as stalactites hang from the cave's ceiling, and stalagmites, which extend upwards from the cavern floor. Many of the caverns eventually collapsed and when the Ice Age came to a close 18,000 years ago, the climate of the planet warmed up, the glaciers receded, and the caves flooded as sea levels rose. Carbon dating of artifacts found in some area caves shows them to have been visited by humans over 9,000 years ago.

WHALESHARKS

Whaleshark season on the Yucatan Peninsula is between June and September with the best months for populations being July and August. Although this is a snorkel-only destination, the opportunity to snorkel and swim with whale sharks is about as near of a guarantee as you'll get. Plankton rich waters & breading tuna eggs draw in literally hundreds of whale sharks and sometimes dozens of manta rays to this location every year, resulting in a consistent fully natural event. Over the years the knowledge of this event has grown, so you can expect to see a massive amount of boats and other snorkelers, but thankfully there are a number of regulations now set with how close you can get to the animal, only 2 snorkelers at a time allowed to be in the water, etc to help regulate the tourists and protect the animals. Also, with the abundance of whale sharks, you still commonly have your own shark to swim by & admire.

ITINERARY

RATES

DATES

EXPEDITION INFO

PRICE BREAKDOWNS

EXCLUDES

• International & Domestic Flight

• Meals other than Lunch

• Park Permits

• Gratuities

• Rental and Dive Gears

DIVE SITE INFORMATION

WATER TEMPERATURE - 27c / 85F

WETSUIT - 3mm / 5mm

UNIQUE OCEAN EXPEDITIONS will be holding yearly expeditions to the famous Cenotes in Playa Del Carmen focusing on capturing amazing imagery of this unique underwater world. We aim on exploring a new cenote each day concentrating on caturing its beauty, below is some information of each cenote we will explore.

• Cenote Ponderosa, crystal clear water full of life hiding among the large blocks of collapsed limestone. The park is only 20 minutes from Playa del Carmen and Tulum On the cavern dive, we pass through a pronounced halocline (layers of fresh and salt water) and traverse over to Cenote Corral, while seeing amazing light effects throughout the dive.

• Cenote Taj Ma Ha Cenote is a great cavern dive. This site is very popular amongst cavern divers because it offers a huge range of things to see. There are sections where you can observe the visual disturbance created when the layers of fresh and salt waters meet, called a halocline. When you dive to the point furthest from the cenote, you will find another beautiful sinkhole called Cenote Sugarbowl. Between the Sugarbowl and Taj Ma Ha cenotes, there is a huge chamber that is only partially filled with water. There are a few cracks in the ceiling of this chamber which, between the months of May and September, allow beams of light to come down through the water, making the Points of Light Room a must see during the summer months. It is a great beginner site, but extra care needs to be taken to prevent damage to the fragile formations.

• Cenote The Pit is an amazing sinkhole inside the deep jungle, an upstream branch of the Sistema Dos Ojos. The Pit is with 391 ft/119 m the deepest cenote in the State of Quintana Roo. This dive will be for sure an unforgettable adventure in your life! Amazing sun rays penetrate to 30 m/100 ft crashing with a hydrogen sulfate cloud.

• Cenote Dos Ojos are probably the world's best cavern dives. The name Dos Ojos means two eyes and refers to two neighboring cenotes which connect into a very large cavern zone shared between the two. These two cenotes appear like two large eyes into the underground. The original cave diving exploration of the whole cave system began through these cenotes. The Barbie Line, leads the diver mainly along the opening of the second eye, containing plenty of daylight. It also gives divers a lot of space to swim around huge columns and stalactites. The Bat Cave Line, feels almost like a cave. It is the darker of the two due to the fact that it leads around an air filled bat cave with little daylight entering.

• Cenote Nicte Ha is located in the Jacinto Pat ejido just a couple of kilometers form cenote Dos ojos. The meaning of its name in mayan is water flower since it is fullfilled with lillyis plant and flowers in all its surroundings. It is a great site for snorkeling and chilling while the sun rays heat you up for one more dive in its super clear waters.

• Cenote Maravilla and Siete Bocas, is located on the highway that joins Puerto Morelos and Leona Vicario. Siete Bocas in Spanish means seven mouths and it is one of the many sinkholes in this region with a depth of more or less 70 meters. A gigantic Hydrosulfide cloud is the reason why some people also call this cenote ‘Milky Way’. Seven light beams enter through the roof and on a sunny day you can expect one amazing light show during your dive.

WORKSHOP SKILLS

RICHARD BARNDEN from Richard Barnden Photography will be leading this expedition and sharing his knowledge and skills of shooting the Cenotes. Each evening Richard will give in depth presentations about the following days diving along with photography tips on settings and compositions.

The cenotes is one of the best places in the world to shoot those classic cavern shots with eye catching beams of penetrating light. Each day we will explore a new cenote and concentrate on capturing its beauty.

SKILLS EXPLORED

• Equipment and Photographic Gears

• Cave Environments

• Lighting - Ambient Light

• Lighting - Strobes vs Continues light

• Settings and Compositions