8MB PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies

REM:J1'E CENCYI'ECenote Dos Ojos is a very interestingsystem just recently explored. Requiring a4-wheel-drive vehicle in order to transportequipment, it is one of the more remotecaves explored. Travelling on the road toDos Ojos can be as exciting as the dive.Large cats, troops of monkeys, and flocksof parrots are seen regularly. Althoughnot a particularly extensive system, themain room shared by both cenotes is thelargest underwater cavern found yet inQuintana Roo. Mayan artifacts are alsopresent near the edge of the water at theWest Ojo.UNEXPECI'ED DISCOVERIESCenote carwash is perhaps one of themost famous cenotes in Quintana Roo. Bothspring and siphon cave systems have beenexplored, revealing diverse cave character,with an exciting and unexpected discovery.Spring-side penetration is at the 500­meter mark, terminating in a beautifullydecorated double dome room. The Room ofTears was a chance discovery, and it is nowa highly coveted goal for the advanced cavediver. Soda straws, oddly shaped speleothems,and helictites festoon this dome,which is 10 by 15 meters.The siphon side of the Carwash has amuch different terminal room. Only 120linear meters from the cave entrance liesthe Chamber of the Ancients. At a depth of30 meters, well below the halocline, acarved stalagmite holds the charcoal remainsof a fire. Other bits of charcoallitter the floor, and worked limestone handtools have also been found in this room.All items that have been found has beenleft in place for others to view.This chamber is also the first placein Quintana Roo where Remipedia were sightedand collected. Remipedia is a new classof crustacean first discovered in the Bahamasand described by Dr. Jill Yager. Oncethought to be confined to the LucayanCaves, it has now been found in the CanaryIslands and Quintana Roo.COASTAL CAVESUnderwater caves closer to the oceanare also being explored with the same en­62thusiasm as the more inland caves. Theenvironmental factors present in thesesystems, though, create more hazardousconditions for the dive team. caves moreproximal to the ocean are entered on landthrough cenotes or from the ocean throughlagoons or Ojos de Agua (springs). Thehalocline is much shallower in depth here,and as the diver passes through it thedisturbance of the salt and fresh watercreates visual impairment. If the flow offresh water is strong enough, mixing occursnaturally. Since flow tends to be strongerand the haloc1ine higher, the actual limestonecomposition of the caves is remarkablydifferent than those inland. Soft,white, friable limestone is present inthese smaller tunnel systems. Extremesiltation becomes unavoidable in mostcases, as the diver's exhaust bubbles dislodgesilt from the ceiling. On the returntrip, teams are greeted by a "snowstorm."Many of these caves are generallysmall and limited in tunnel size andlength. There are some exceptions to this,however. Cueva QUebrada on Isla Cozumelhas a maximum penetration of over 2500meters, with average depths of 8 meters.The cave is not continuous, as cenotes areencountered during the dive. Laguna No-Necon the mainland is another exception. Oneof the first underwater caves to be exploredin QUintana Roo (c. 1982), it has morethan 500 meters of surveyed passage.Many other cenotes, lagoons, and drycave sumps have been explored. Aerialsurveys have revealed new cenotes tantalizinglyclose to existing roads, while somecenotes are inaccessibly deep into thejungle. As the local population grows andmore roads are built, new cenotes willbecome accessible to the underwater caveexplorer.L(X;ISTICSProper training and specialized divingequipment have allowed much of this kind ofexploration to take place. Local dive-shopsupport has been invalUable for logisticservices. The sheer amount of equipmentneeded to perform some of this explorationcan been staggering. Longer dives requirefour tanks for each diver. Extra equipmentprovided by the dive shops makes this longerexploration possible.