Mayan Blue Adventure

Mayan Underworld | JONATHAN BIRD'S BLUE WORLD

In this spooky underwater adventure, Jonathan travels to Merida, in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, to explore cenotes that were used by pre-Columbian Mayans for human sacrifices. Reaching the cenotes requires rappelling down into the Earth and lowering all the gear. The underwater exploration requires advanced cave diving techniques and the cinematography in this environment is extremely challenging, particularly the lighting. This beautifully shot adventure will leave viewers on the edge of their seats!

Warning: this segment contains graphic images of human bones. Thanks to Jeff Shaw and Freedom Divers, Merida.

**********************************************************************
If you like Jonathan Bird's Blue World, don't forget to subscribe!

You can buy some Blue World T-shirts & Swag!


You can join us on Facebook!


Twitter


Instagram
@blueworldtv

Web:

**********************************************************************


66 million years ago, an enormous asteroid tumbled through space. Travelling ten times the speed of a rifle bullet, this celestial missile was on a direct collision course with Earth.

It smashed into Earth with such force that it triggered powerful earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The impact threw a cloud of dust into the atmosphere, cooling the planet and killing the dinosaurs.

The impact crater is located just north of the Yucatan peninsula, in what is now Mexico. Around the outer ring of the crater, cracks formed in the limestone, allowing groundwater to flow through, eroding into caves. When a cave ceiling gets too thin and falls in, you get what is known as a cenote. The word cenote was derived from the Mayan word ts’onot meaning “sacred well”--A source of water, and an entrance to the caves.

Fast forward to 2,000 years ago, the Maya civilization dominated central America. They built their cities near the cenotes so they had access to fresh water from what are essentially super clean underground rivers.

Thanks to that asteroid, there are more cenotes in this area than anyplace else in the world--thousands of them running along the rim of the ancient crater. It’s an incredible place for some underwater exploration!

At last we reach cenote Sha-An and the guides start setting up. Looking inside the cenote, I can tell you this, I would not want to fall in there by accident. The surface of the water is 50 feet down and the only way out would be climbing a tree root! But it’s absolutely breathtaking.

I lead the way into a gorgeous passageway that almost looks like a miniature riverbed, with pebbles paving the floor. The white limestone walls reflect my video lights, making beautiful illumination.

Cenotes were also believed to be entrances to the underworld--and therefore pathways to the Gods.

In pre-Columbian times, the Maya people ruled Central America. They built staggering cities, which included massive step-pyramids as temples to the Maya gods. They performed rituals that they believed would keep the gods happy--to insure their good fortune.

The Mayans would often throw offerings into the cenotes to please Chaac, the rain God. Sometimes those offerings included human sacrifices.

We arrive at Cenote San Antonio. This tiny opening was once an important place to the Mayans. So important that we had to get a special permit to dive here.

The walls are made of sedimentary rock formed from an ancient seabed. All kinds of shells are stuck in it, including this perfectly-formed sea urchin skeleton.

As we drop further, I focus my camera on a jawbone. It’s the jaw of a horse, which probably fell in here by accident and drowned. Nothing can escape this watery trap.

Near the jaw, I find my first trace of a human presence—a broken piece of pottery. I have to get my head around the fact that this is a pre-Columbian artifact more than a thousand years old.

Moving away from the walls and out into the middle of the cenote, I find a bone. This is no horse bone—it’s a human tibia, the lower leg bone. And near it, the femur. Humans are buried here.

Not far away, a ghostly sight—a human skull resting peacefully next to a perfectly intact earthen bowl.

At this depth in fact there are human remains almost everywhere I turn.

Of course we don’t touch or disturb anything. Not only is this a gravesite, it’s part of an ongoing archaeological study. We can look but we definitely cannot touch.

Nearby, a jaw with molars that have cavities. What can be learned of the ancient Mayans from clues like this?

But not everything down here is about death. This cenote has some of the most prolific cave fauna I have ever seen, including many blind cavefish and a species of cave isopod I have never seen before.

5 Must Do Adventures in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is famous for Cancún, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, world-famous destinations attracting millions of visitors each year with their picture-perfect beaches and high-class resorts. But since we came to Mexico for it’s nature and culture, we were looking for adventures off-the-beaten-path in Yucatan. Today, we’d like to share our top 5 experiences with you.

01:09 Punta Laguna – head into the jungle with a local, Mayan guide, observe spider monkeys in the wild, kayak and zipline over a lively lagoon, spot some caimans and let them lower you into a hidden underground cenote.
02:43 Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve – known for it’s natural beauty and sustainable tourism, the reserve contains a beautiful stretch of beach with a off-shore coral reef and lively mangroves where you can spot birds, caymans and manatees.
03:18 Bacalar – not a big secret anymore, but the „Lagoon of Seven Colors“ with crystal clear water in all shades of blue is still worth a visit. Rent a kayak and paddle out to the „Canal de los Piratas“
03:40 Calakmul – one of the largest and most powerful ancient Maya ruins, nestled in the middle of a lush rain forest. Find yourself surrounded by wild animals while hiking through the widespread historical site and climb the highest structures for a spectacular view04:47 Ek Balam – a great alternative to Calakmul is Ek Balam, a Mayan site much more accessible and still less visited than most other ruins in the area
04:56 Cenotes – the natural highlight of the Pensinsula are around 3.000 sinkholes filled with fresh water. They’re an important habitat for plants and animals, considered as the entrance of the Mayan underworld and a perfect place to explore above and below the water surface. Find cliff jumps, rope swings (San Lorenzo Oxman Cenote) and spectacular places for snorkeling and scuba diving (Casa, Carwash, Dos Ojos, …).

If you’re interested in scuba diving the Cenotes or with the bull sharks living close to Playa del Carmen’s coast, check out our previous videos!

Have you been to the Yucatan Peninsula? Which were your favorite destinations there? Did you enjoy the cities, or prefer the natural surroundings as well? Share your experiences with us in the comments!

Stay Curious,
Doris & Matthias

#offthebeatentrack #visitmexico #visityucatan

* FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY *
????
????

* CAMERA & EDIT *
Matthias Jungwirth & Doris Wimmer
????????
????????

* MUSIC *
Climbing Mountains by Rex Banner (Artlist)
New World by Ian Post (Artlist)
Endless Horizons by Ian Post (Artlist)
Amaze by Uppeach (Artlist)
Deep Dark Jungle by Rhythm Scott (Artlist)
Reel by ANBR (Artlist)

* EQUIPMENT *
???? Sony A7 RIII: (Main Camera)
???? Sony FE 24–105 mm F4 G: (Main Lens)
???? Sony FE 16–35mm F4: (Wide Angle Lens)
???? Sony FE 70–300mm F4.5-5.6 G: (Tele Lens)
???? DJI Mavic Air: (Drone)
???? GoPro Hero 6 Black: (Underwater Camera)
???? GoPro Super Suit Dive Housing: (Underwater Housing)
???? Rollei Compact Traveler 1 Carbon: (Tripod)
???? Zhiyun Crane V2: (Stabilizer)
???? Lacie 4 TB Hard Drive: (for Backups)
???? Rode VideoMicro: (Microphone)

When you are convinced by any of the above-mentioned camera gear, feel free to use one of the links. You get the regular Amazon price and we receive a small percentage from that – this helps to support and continue our work. Thank you!