A new monitoring site for Punta Gruesa?
The wind has been playing havoc with the breakers in the pass through the reef crest, making diving a little tricky at times. After a dry day or two, the decision was made to ship out a couple of groups to check out Cenote Azul next to the lake at Bacalar. A cenote is a freshwater system found all over the Yucatan, consisting of groundwater that collects in sinkholes and underground cave systems, creating pristine, clear waters and caverns that we can explore.
Both cars were loaded up with kit and people, and driven to 2 hours south to Bacalar and the cenote. The heat encouraged a speedy entry to the water (wetsuits are not conducive to midday Mexican sun!), and the brand new underwater torches were put to use for looking into crevices and signaling to each other. At 20 metres, the cenote gets fairly dark, therefore usual signals for communication are not as effective and new signals using torches are bought into action.
The dives went well, with two groups going on consecutive days. The cenote is a deep hole with sheer walls that were followed offering tree roots, cave formations and fish to keep us occupied. Freshwater is a completely different sensation to saltwater, and many of the EMs were experiencing it for the first time. You can carry less weight, but it can also cause buoyancy issues which became apparent with some of the group as it wasn’t quite as spot on as usual!
But all had fun, even with a rather extended surface swim post dive! (They’ve all been talking about getting fit and doing exercise, I don’t know what the problem was!!!). A very successful endeavour that will definitely be repeated in the future.
Both cars were loaded up with kit and people, and driven to 2 hours south to Bacalar and the cenote. The heat encouraged a speedy entry to the water (wetsuits are not conducive to midday Mexican sun!), and the brand new underwater torches were put to use for looking into crevices and signaling to each other. At 20 metres, the cenote gets fairly dark, therefore usual signals for communication are not as effective and new signals using torches are bought into action.
The dives went well, with two groups going on consecutive days. The cenote is a deep hole with sheer walls that were followed offering tree roots, cave formations and fish to keep us occupied. Freshwater is a completely different sensation to saltwater, and many of the EMs were experiencing it for the first time. You can carry less weight, but it can also cause buoyancy issues which became apparent with some of the group as it wasn’t quite as spot on as usual!
But all had fun, even with a rather extended surface swim post dive! (They’ve all been talking about getting fit and doing exercise, I don’t know what the problem was!!!). A very successful endeavour that will definitely be repeated in the future.
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