Steve Gerrard's Deep Horizon web site

 

Cave Diving The Big Three

Cave Diving the Big THREE

The world’s best cave diving is in the Riviera Maya of Mexico’s Yucatan Caribbean coast from Puerto Morelos traveling south beyond the village of Tulum.  Within this 100 kilometer distance includes over 180+ explored, surveyed cave systems.  With consistent, year-round crystal clear water, relative shallow depths, warm 77 degree Fahrenheit temperatures and usually an outstanding array of decorations and speleothems, what better conditions can you ask for?  You cannot find a more exceptional concentration of underwater cave systems within such a close proximity providing the cave diver with the best environment to safely dive and enjoy.

     The four longest underwater cave systems in the world are:

 

1.

SISTEMA OX BEL HA

180039 meters/590678 feet 

2.

SISTEMA SAC AKTUN

168959 meters/554328 feet

3.

SISTEMA DOS OJOS

62209 meters/204098 feet

4.

LEON SINKS CAVE SYSTEM*

150,000 feet plus

 

     In fact, seven of the top eight longest cave systems in the world are within the extraordinary RIVIERA MAYA area.  (As of June, 2009) They are:

 

5.

SISTEMA TOH HA

27797 meters/91197 feet

6.

SISTEMA AKTUN HU

24913 meters/81735 feet

7.

SISTEMA NARANJAL

24324 meters/79804 feet

8.

SISTEMA K’OOX BAAL

20089 meters/65902 feet

9.

SISTEMA TUHS (TUX) KAPAXA

15144 meters/49685 feet

*Approximate lengths as various sources of data conflict with the exact amount.

     There is so much guideline laid and surveyed, most conservative estimates put it over 2 million ft/655,738 m or equivalent to 379 miles of explored and surveyed underwater passages.  That is an astonishing number of caves to explore and see.

     Many people continually ask me the question, what is my favorite underwater cave to dive.  To be fair, I do not have a favorite.  Each cave system has its own personality and qualities.  There is a story to each one.  In fact, I have not had the opportunity to dive every cave system and every explored cave passage.  It is literally impossible to do.  You could dive every day for the next 10 years (3,650 days) and not be able to explore all of the known underwater cave passages.

I can offer this:  Here are some of my favorite dives for particular interests or purposes.  They are:

 

OVERALL PHOTOGAPHY

    The Grand Cenote

    Cenote Nohoch Nah Chich

    Cenote Chan Hol

    Cenote Caracol

    Sistema Mundo Escondido

    Sistema Dos Pisos

    Cenote Sac Be Ha

    Cenote Jailhouse

   

 DPV CAVE SYSTEMS
 

 

To Cenote Far Station

Cenote Mystic River

 

To “The Pit”

Cenote Dos Ojos

 

To the “LSD area”

Cenote Dos Ojos

 

Cenote Zapata upstream to “The Ball Park”

Sistema Ox Bel Ha

 

Cenote Naharon to Mayan Blue & back

Sistema Naranjal

 

Cenote of the Sun downstream

Sistema Naranjal

 

The Tour

Sistema PonDeRosa

 

The Tour

Sistema Chac Mool

 

The Tour

Sistema Taj Mahal

 

The Tour

Sistema Camilo

 

BIG ROOMS

 

 

The Wakulla Room in “The Pit”

Sistema Dos Ojos

 

The Blue Abyss”

Cenote Mystic River

 

The Chinese Garden

Sistema Taj Mahal

 

The Hall of Giants”

Cenote Calavera (TOD)

 

The Battleship Room”

Sistema Naranjal

 

The City of Agre”

Sistema Taj Mahal

 

The Monster House”

Sistema Chac Mool

 

The Coliseum Room”

Cenote Temple of Doom


Upstream Aktun Hu

Cenote Aktun Hu

 

BEAUTIFUL ROOMS & PASSAGEWAYS 

 

 

Room Of Tears

Cenote Carwash

 

Chinese Garden

Sistema Taj Mahal

 

The Chapel

Sistema PonDeRosa

 

Disneyland including “Heaven’s Gate”

Cenote Nohoch Nah Chich

 

The Cuzan Nah loop

The Grand Cenote

 

Cenote Mystic River upstream

Sistema Sac Aktun

 

Upstream mainline

Sistema Mundo Escondido

 

Wonderland

Sistema Aktun Koh

 

The Bosh Chen loop

The Grand Cenote

 

The China Shop

Sistema Xilbalba


The Main Line

Cenote Chan Hol


Upstream Main Line

Cenote Sac Be Ha


Upstream Main Line

Cenote Caracol

 

LONGEST UNDERWATER STALACTITES

     The Drip Water Stone - 40 ft. The Monster House, Sistema Chac Mool

     The Fang – 21 ft, Hall of Giants, Sistema Temple of Doom

DEEPEST DIVES

 

 

The Pit – 363 ft/119.1 m.

Sistema Dos Ojos

 

The Blue Abyss Room – 235 ft/77 m.

Sistema Nohoch Nah Chich

 

209 ft/69 m.

Sistema Aak Kimin

 

209 ft/69 m.

Sistema Tam Ha

 

199 ft/65 m.

Cenote Angilita


189 ft/62 meters - “The Black Abyss”

Sistema Aktun Hu

 

175 ft/57 m.

Sistema Doble Dicha

LARGE POWER PASSAGES

 

 

The Jumna River.

Sistema Taj  Mahal   


Upstream main line – “The biggest of all”

Sistema Aktun Hu

 

The Monster Canyon.

Sistema Toucha Ha

 

Cindy’s Line and beyond.

Sistema Camilo

 

The main line upstream the first 9,000 ft.

Cenote Nohoch Nah Chich

 

The Glory Run & the Freshwater line.

Sistema Tortuga

 

Cenote Zapata upstream – Ballpark line.

Sistema Ox Bel Ha

 

Cenote Mayan Blue -
           “B” to “E” to “F” lines.

Sistema Naranjal

 

The upstream mainline.

Sistema Aktun Koh

 

The upstream mainline.

Sistema Chac Mool

 

The upstream mainline.

Sistema Crustecea

 

Cenote Naval upstream.

Sistma Sac Aktun

 

Cenote Jailhouse downstream.

Sistema Naranjal

  These favorites only represent a sample of what exists in the immeasurable underwater cave systems of the Riviera Maya.  There is much more to explore and discover.  If you have any questions, please email me at:

stevegerrard@cavediver.com

     If I do not know the answer then I can tell you who may know, as there is such a great deal to learn and understand.  Be safe and have fun!!

 

 


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