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Sistema  X'Tabay

                                               Pretty Rooms

    This is the first of a series of stories describing a variety of rooms that are considered beautiful with a tremendous amount of decorations or with unusual, compelling features.  One hundred and thirty plus have been discovered and available to explore along Mexico's Caribbean coast known as the Riviera Maya.  Most of these cave systems offer a room or an area that catches the spirit of inspiration in why we choose to dive this incredible underground world.

SISTEMA  X'TABAY

     There seems to be a variety of interpretations in the Mayan meaning for X'tabay.  Most folks will agree it means the woman with the flowing hair.  This cave system is actually the same water that feeds Sistema PonDeRosa.  Separated by a huge collapse cenote area, there is no route any diver can find around or through underwater this clogged section of tremendous water drainage.

     During the month of February, 1993 Gary Walten and his wife Kay Pozda Walton of Akumal were pushing the farthest upstream section of Sistema PonDerosa from the "River Run" entry in Cenote PonDeRosa or known locally as Cenote Eden.   From a small cenote opening Gary had named the "Repair Shop" they continued laying line from a previous dive that Kay and myself had laid a few days earlier.  In their push installing line against an obvious flow of water they discovered a beautiful collapsed area that they named the "Wizard's Den". In this room features a section of speleothem that resembles King Arthur's Round table.  The ceiling is close to 20 feet in depth where as the floor area stays at 45 feet.  The ceiling is highly decorated and deserves a dive in itself to view such a gorgeous sight.  From the Wizard's Den swimming upstream 400 feet they discovered the last cenote that completely halted any further exploration.  Why?  At the surface, one can view a tremendous depression blanketed with a carpet of lush jungle.  While underwater, all Gary and Kay could find was this huge apron of giant rocks and boulders.  The flow of water was jetting out between the rocks in about every place one could search.  The enticement of threading yourself through the rocks probing your way was a challenge in itself.  Every attempt by Gary and Kay and a long list of other cave explorers as years went by always ended in frustration and usually a description stating it very clearly, "you don't want to go there!" characteristics.  With tight crannies, an abundance of silt percolation and compounded by halocline, the cave gods message had made sure that finding a way to more cave passage was not going to happen.  The Walten's named their thwarted discovery Cenote X'tabay.

     With a huge amount of water filtering its way through the massive blockade, common sense dictated that there had to be more underwater cave farther into the jungle beyond Cenote X'tabay.  Several times Gary attempted to find the continuation of the cave system by removing his equipment and wading, hacking his way through the dense foliage in his attempt to find the lost river.  I know myself I once made a feeble attempt with no success.  However, it would be futile, as the thick jungle seemed to be always be the victor thus, at the time being, ended any hope that the mysterious water would be found.

     However, the philosophy of "never give up" was a motivating factor for more future explorers.  That brings us to the year - 1998.  Cave Instructors Bil Philips and Danny Riordan also noticed the massive amount of water outpouring from the intertwine array of collapse rocks and debris and began the search for where was the water coming from.   That next year the land owner "Don" Silvano Cu Chuc and his family began the construction of a roadway to the cenote from Highway 307 along with clearing the jungle foliage and dredging the cenote basin in the hopes of creating a suitable snorkel area for tourists to enjoy.  This allowed an easy access of the farthest point of the collapsed area and the discovery of a large pool of water laying underneath a limestone ledge and the surprising continuation of a new cave system called Sistema X'tabay.  This pool of water opens up into quite a carnivorous cavern area that traverses 200 feet to another cenote named Cenote Xochicallo #1. The original exploration line turns left at the second cenote with another line directed into the opposite direction that actually travels a complete loop back into the upstream exploration line with 75% of it within sight of daylight.  It took Danny and Bil a few dives to investigate every nook and cranny.  Their exploration pushed the cave system beyond 1600 feet from the collapsed cenote area that the Chuc family named CHICKIN HA that means water from the west.  A second cenote opening is located a few hundred feet beyond Cenote Xochicallo #1 logically named Cenote Xochicallo #2.  Both cenotes are part of the Xochicallo Ranch property.  The main passage abruptly ends in a crumbling collapsed section with water oozing from the rocks.

     With no more cave to push upstream, the explorers pursued the next logical step and began probing for side passages.  It's fair to say that in this cave system there exist very little decorations making it a dull dive.  However, as you follow the main permanent guideline past Cenote Xochicallo #2 about 300 feet you will encounter a "Z" bend configuration that skirts around a short but beautiful room of interesting speleothem decorations.  What many cave divers fail to do when exploring or sightseeing is the simple task of looking up.  This is important because that is exactly what Bil and Danny did to find the "best" treasure of Sistema X'tabay.  As the permanent guideline follows a very slight bend with the line hugging the right side of the cave passageway, the line begins to straighten out.  This is where looking up to the right pays off in finding the "key" to the magical door.   With a primary reel it is necessary tying off on the permanent guideline at the 42 foot level and ascend.  The clue is a dark brown stained ceiling with several stalactites including a small air pocket.   Laying your line in this shallow area heading in a northerly direction you gradually swim downhill swimming towards a dead-end corner.  It appears as if the cave is finished but don't be fooled and look closer and notice the scratch marks of other cave divers.  Yes, it is a minor restriction as scooting through and uphill is no problem.  You have entered a unique room called the DELI SHOP.  The name speaks for itself, as it is a delicacy of delight.  The room provides an array of stunning columns, stalagmites, stalactites, sodas straws and so on.  It's charm and beauty makes the cave dive well worth of effort.  One critical warning for any visitor, please stay on the permanent guideline and DO NOT wander around the room as the air bubbles can exert significant damage to the ceiling as it is soft and crumbly in some areas.

     There is some confusion with the names.  The summer of 2000 I interviewed members of the Chuc family as they explained that the huge collapsed depression is named Chickin Ha.  The downstream pool of water keeps the same name and the upstream pool of water is called X'tabay.  Today, Cenote Chickin Ha serves as popular snorkeling site for private snorkeling companies who bring tourists from many of the hotel resorts located along the Riviera Maya coast. There are beautiful pathways with stone steps allowing an easy entry to either pool of water.  Two clean, tiled bathrooms are provided and there is a palapa with cement floor to enjoy a comfortable and enjoyable place to eat food and relax.  The dive site fee is 60 pesos.  It is located 2.7 kilometers south of the Puerto Aventuras Marina Resort entrance or directly across from the new Spanish resort called Barcelo.

     My next story I will write about the exploration and the survey project of Sistema Taj Mahal including the magnificent "Chinese Garden".

Steve Gerrard lives in the Puerto Aventuras marina resort.  He has been safely teaching cave diving for twenty five years.  His favorite activity is underwater cave photography using the NIKON 100 digital camera with a Light & Motion Titan Housing using Ikelite strobes.  He is the author of the famous guidebook titled - THE CENOTES OF THE RIVIERIA MAYA and soon to be published  CENOTE DIVING - SAFE & FUN.   You can contact Steve at:

stevegerrard@cavediver.com  or  www.steve-gerrard.com