Sian Kaan and Yax Chen Dec 04 to 09 2006 Project Report - Decembre, 2006 update

Team: Danny, Fred, Chris, Jarrod, David, Per, Sigurd, Franco, Beto, Suzanne, Luca, Mario, Gian Mario, Todd and Anthony Rue.

Option 1: Sian Ka’an Caapechen & Boca Paila exploration, documentation & science
Option 2: Sian Kaan Boca Paila & Yax Chen exploration (Arizona), documentation & science
Option 3: Yax Chen exploration (Champagne, Arizona, Norwegian, Far & L-shape), documentation & science

Work to be accomplished before the project:

Scooter overhaul incl. BT & balancing (Per & Sigurd)
Stage regs servicing (Per & Sigurd)
Stage bottle marking (Per & Sigurd)
Safety bottle marking (Per & Sigurd)
Knotting line/LA (Fred & Chris)
Helium for 30/30 bottles (Chris)
Emergency response plan (Fred)
Survey slate format & surface manage diving sheet (Fred)
Buoy for Caapechen (Per & Sigurd)
Access (Sam & Chris)
T-Shirts (Chris & Fred)

Surface manager: role & objectives
Support divers: role & objectives

Hi,

The MCEP in SK and YC will be running Dec 4 to Dec 9. We will meet at ZG at 6h30am Dec 4… and ready to go. All the scooters will need to be burn tested and balanced prior to the beginning of the project. Cylinders are to be filled with EANx 32.

We will have a pre-project meeting at ZG Sat Dec 2 at 5pm. In addition, Sam will be presenting an overview of the area’s diversity and ecological importance.

The objectives for the Dec project are the following:

Explore the Boca Paila cave in the SKBR. This cave was originally explored for 1,000ft by Christian Thomas and his French team. During the June project, Danny, Per & Fred added 2,000ft of line. This was the only dive conducted by our team in Boca Paila. The cave is wide open for further exploration. There’s a substantial flow throughout the cave.

Video and photo of the Boca Paila cave. Ctenophores were observed in the middle of the cave during the June dive.

Explore the Caapechen cave in the SKBR. This cave has tremendous potential for exploration but is quite challenging in term of silt and flow. The end of the line is at 10,000ft. We will push the exploration further. Set-up dives will be required to continue in.

Video and photo of the Caapechen cave. There are a lot of features/curiosities and details to document in this cave.

Explore the “Arizona” section in YC. There’s a lot more exploration to do there but it is likely to be in bedding plain. We still have to find further passage going S to the SKBR. Set-up dives will be needed to continue the exploration.

Explore the “Champagne” section in YC. The cave is wide open and is heading W/NW towards the “Yayax Pepem” area. This section of cave was explored from Yax Kai cenote during the 1999 Ox Bel Ha project. There’s tons of exploration to do in this area. The max penetration is 20,000ft. Set-up dives will be needed to support further exploration.

Find more cave passage going S towards the SKBR past Cenote Far. The penetration is around 18,000ft. Set-up dives will be needed to support further scouting and exploring.

Explore the cave going from the L-shape cenote back towards the main Yax Chen cenote. This is a short distance travel. This could potentially connect OBH with another 12,000ft of cave passage.

Video and photo documentation of “Arizona” and “Champagne”

Video and photo of the “Tunnel Vision” section in YC.

Science work in Collaboration with UNAM & CICY: water profiling with hydro lab.

Remove Temperature loggers from A’Im.

Thanks for confirming your participation to the project as soon as possible.