Into Xibalbá- Cenote Dive Trip Report 10 / 11 / 2020

By Luis Antonio Velasco  

PADI MSDT 230707 

TDI 516712

Cenote : Dos Ojos / Ejido Jacinto Pat. 

Dive 1 

Dive site : Barbie Line

Max Depth: 20 feet/ 6 meters 

Bottom Time : 50 minutes 

We started with some important safety checks at the surface like the valve checks bubble check, weight checks and light checks, something pretty common and important before every cavern or cave dive, and we submerged to start on the left side of the circuit from the Barbie Line. We were almost alone as we were one of the first groups starting that day. Suddenly huge columns appeared in front of us as we swam into the cavern in our way to West Eye to meet the famous barbie in the cavern line. After approximately 25 minutes of flying into space like rooms full of stalactites we got there and began our way back with the current pushing us slightly back to the East Eye. On our way back we got through the "time travel tunnel " and then we saw a couple of fossils and crusted shells on some rocks, and the spectacular view of the light coming from the entrance point. 

2nd Dive 

Dive Site: Bat Cave 

Max Depth: 30 feet / 10 meters 

Bottom Time : 55 minutes. 

After the regular surface safety checks we began our dive on the farther left yellow line on the East Eye, that leads into the Bat Cave circuit, at some point conducting to a little narrow passway to open later on into a huge gallery with a lot of spectacular formations. Stalactites, big columns connecting the ceiling to the bottom, we pass by one of the light entries that looks unreal like a window to heaven. After that we surrounded the Bat Cave visiting the Ice Cream column and the limestome cascade to later on make a surfacing in the huge dry gallery of the Bat Cave. Watching some of the Free Tailed Bats ( Tadarida Brasiliensis ) we looked at the very ancient alive stalactites on dry that still keep growing inside the gallery at a ratio of 1 cm every 100 years. 

After we submerged again to continue our tour into the west eye where we met some snorkelers on the surface coming from the snorkel area, and then we head towards the East Eye again to finish our dive.

 

written by. 

Luis Antonio Velasco 

Mandala Divers and Tours. 

PADI MSDT #230707

SDI/TDI Instructor #43504

TDI Full Cave Diver #516712

www.mandaladiversandtours.com