Dive a cenote

“We took a few breaths to ready ourselves, released the air in our BCDs, and then we were flying through water. The Pit has different layers—the first is fresh water. We descended past it as shafts of sunlight crept through the entrance into the belly of the cavern. Next, we sunk into the thick halocline layer, where salt and freshwater meet. This mingling of less-dense fresh water and denser salt water that seeps in from below creates a swirling optical illusion where your vision goes blurry for several seconds until, lowering still, you emerge into the clear salt water on the other side. I looked at my sister and we threw up ecstatic shakas to signal our amazement.”

“Getting ready I had butterflies in my stomach as I had no idea what to expect and I’m by no means a cave diver. The thought of diving through pitch dark tunnels was a slightly terrifying thought! [...] After my descent to about 12m, I looked up and the scene above me was just beyond stunning. Rays of sunlight penetrated through the strikingly blue, clear water, creating streams of twinkling, sparkling light across the entire entrance. It was magical! [...] It was fascinating to be swimming through fresh, crystal-clear water, to all of a sudden be surrounded by what seemed like a thick, fuzzy cloud, and then back to clear again. It’s a thrilling experience, especially when it’s pretty dark as you can’t really see a thing! After a few deep breaths I eventually got used to it :).”

“As you dip beneath the surface, the water is a little cloudy, but a few feet down the visibility opens up and you can see everything. As the tree came into view I couldn’t stop smiling. I was so happy the entire dive that I kept flooding my mask from laughing, though that’s a pretty common problem for me. This dive had been the number one thing on my list of life experiences I’d hoped to have for so long, it hardly felt real to be there in person.”