Sian Ka’an & Ox Bel Ha, December 4 to 8 Project Report - Decembre, 2006 update

Dive Team: Per Thomsen, Fred Devos, Danny Riordan, Mario Valotta, Sigurd Bowitz, Beto Nava, Jarrod Jablonski, David Rhea, Mark Messersmith, Franco Attolini, Chris Le Maillot, Sue Bird, Anthony Rue, Alex Alvarez.

Surface Manager: Anthony Rue & Sue Bird

Dive Site Name: Yax Chen & A’Im

Coordinate: WGS84 UTM 451245 2226084

Conditions: Wind is coming from the North. The basin in Yax Chen is slightly tannic. No noticeable increase in flow. The hydrogen sulfide layer before the L-Shape cenote is light. Large school of tarpons observed up to the Gemini cenote. There are an important number of turtles in the open water of the various cenotes. Morelet crocodiles were once again spotted in the L-Shape cenote.

Dive objectives:

Team 1 set up dive to drop safeties @ 3k
Team 2 set up dive to drop safeties @ 6k & Arizona
Team 3 set up dive to drop safeties @ 9k
Team 4 video dive to the “Tunnel Vision” with mini-me and DL Ds
Team 5 removal of temperature logger in A’Im

Summary of results:

Team 1 safeties ok
6k & Arizona safeties ok. Had to fix broken line in the L-Shape cenotes
9k safeties ok
Video of the cave past Gemini & part of the tunnel vision. Mini-me flooded but tape is safe
Team 5 removal of Temp logger ok

Equipment:

33amp scooters, stage bottles and bg with EANx 32, video camera with dl Ds and HMI.

Dive log:

Dive # 1
Time in: 10h00
Time out: 11h20
Total Run Time: 80 minutes
Max depth: 36ft
Av depth: 30ft
Divers Team 1: Alex Alvarez & Sue Bird

Dive # 2

Time in: 10h30
Time out: 13h30
Total Run Time: 180 minutes
Max depth: 68ft
Av depth: 52ft
Divers Team 2: Per Thomsen & Mark Messersmith

Dive # 3

Time in: 11h30
Time out: 13h45
Total Run Time: 135 minutes
Max depth: 55ft
Av depth: 38ft
Divers Team 3: Franco Attolini & Beto Nava

Dive # 4

Time in: 12h05
Time out: 16h10
Total Run Time: 245 minutes
Max depth: 75ft
Av depth: 50ft
Divers Team 4 : Jarrod Jablonski, Danny Riordan, David Rhea & Chris Le Maillot

Dive # 5

Time in: 12h30
Time out: 13h 35
Total Run Time: 65 minutes
Max depth: 58ft
Av depth: 45ft
Divers Team 5: Fred Devos, Sigurd Bowitz & Mario Valotta

December 5, 2006

Surface Manager: Blake Wilson

Dive Site Name: Yax Chen & SKBR

Coordinate: WGS84 UTM 451245 2226084

Dive objectives:

Team 1 set up dive to drop 5 stages for Arizona and Norwegian teams
Team 2 exploration Norwegian line for SW passage
Team 3 exploration Arizona line for SE or SW passage
Team 4 clean up dive
Team 5 exploration & Re-survey French line in Boca Paila. Video documentation

Summary of results:

Team 1 set up dive ok
Team 2 checked previously marked lead but nothing of importance. Cave gets narrow from “South Park”/”Norwegian” lines going SW
Team 3 checked various leads on Arizona line. Cave is deceiving and complex but no SE/SW passage yet. Warmer water in the Southern part of Arizona at 82 F This is similar to the cave temp in Caapechen
Team 4 clean up ok
Team 5

Possible follow up:

1. Arizona needs to be further checked for SE/SW passage

Equipment:

33amp scooters, stage bottles and bg with EANx 32, video camera and HMI.

Dive log:

Dive # 1

Time in: 09h33
Time out: 11h30
Total Run Time: 123 minutes
Max depth: 45ft
Av depth: 30ft
Divers Team 1: Franco Attolini, Luca Magheli & Beto Nava

Dive # 2

Time in: 11h11
Time out: 16h25
Total Run Time: 314 minutes
Max depth: 70ft
Av depth: 50ft
Divers Team 2: Danny Riordan, Mark Messersmith & Sigurd Bowitz

Dive # 3

Time in: 11h00
Time out: 15h20
Total Run Time: 260 minutes
Max depth: 81ft
Av depth: 55ft
Divers Team 3: David Rhea & Chris Le Maillot

Dive # 4

Time in: 14h30
Time out: 16h25
Total Run Time: 115 minutes
Max depth: 45 ft
Av depth: 38ft
Divers Team 4: Franco Attolini, GM Rocca & Sue Bird

Dive # 5

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Divers Team 5: Fred Devos, Per Thomsen, Jarrod Jablonski, Alex Alvarez

December 6, 2006

Surface Manager: Sue Bird & Mario Valotta

Dive Site Name: Yax Chen & SKBR

Coordinate: WGS84 UTM 451245 2226084

Dive objectives:

Team 1 set up dive to drop stages and scooters for “Arizona” team
Team 2 exploration & survey of Arizona SE/SW leads
Team 3 check leads potentially connecting YC to OBH from L-shape
Team 4 clean up dive
Team 5 exploration & survey of entrada “Boca Paila” in the SKBR. Video documentation.

Summary of results:

Team 1 set up dive ok
Team 2 checked leads at #SM 134 and laid 310ft of line still going SW. Lead at #SM 135 needs to be checked next project. This is still a promising area for exploration. The temp is 82 f.
Team 3 checked GW line from L-Shape #SM 035 DR. This is a connection line now to LLC.
Team 4 clean up dive ok
Boca Paila

Possible follow up:

1. Arizona is the gateway to the SKBR. If access to Gemini is granted on next project, this is a section of cave to be through fully checked.

Equipment:

33amp scooters, stage bottles and bg with EANx 32, video camera and HMI.

Dive log:

Dive # 1

Time in: 10h10
Time out: 11h45
Total Run Time: 95 minutes
Max depth: 36ft
Av depth: 30ft
Divers Team 1: Alex Alvarez & Sigurd Bowitz

Dive # 2

Time in: 10h30
Time out: 15h40
Total Run Time: 310 minutes
Max depth: 81 ft
Av depth: 55 ft
Divers Team 2: David Rhea & Chris Le Maillot

Dive # 3

Time in: 11h10
Time out: 15h30
Total Run Time: 280 minutes
Max depth: 65 ft
Av depth: 38ft
Divers Team 3: Danny Riordan, Mark Messersmith & Beto Nava

Dive # 4

Time in: 14h30
Time out: 16h05
Total Run Time: 95 minutes
Max depth: 45 ft
Av depth: 38 ft
Divers Team 4: Sigurd Bowitz & Susan Bird

Dive # 5

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Divers Team 5: Fred Devos, Per Thomsen, Jarrod Jablonski, Franco Attolini

December 7, 2006

Surface Manager: Mario Valotta

Dive Site Name: Yax Chen & SKBR

Coordinate: WGS84 UTM 451245 2226084

Dive objectives:

Team 1 photo documentation of LLC area
Team 2 video documentation of HS and halocline
Team 3 check leads for YC and OH connection
Team 4 exploration and survey in Boca Paila

Summary of results:

Team 1 successful photo shoot by David.
Team 2 successful video documentation with HMI
Team 3 went to end of “Diversion” line from GW. There’s nothing going on at the end of line. Came back a few station and added 400 ft of line going to YC ML. Line name: MAS. Another 440ft were added from MAS going SE/E. There isn’t any passage going N from there. Line name: ANGELO.
Team 4

Equipment:

33amp scooters, stage bottles and bg with EANx 32, video camera and HMI.

Comments/Observation:

Line name: Angelo / Mas
Passage width (meters): 2 meters
Passage Height (meters): 2 meters
Passage shape: oval
Fauna: isopods
Slepeothems: none
Sediment: organic
Additional comments: there’s a strange round fungus forming on rock, hard to the touch and small in diameter.

Dive log:

Dive # 1

Time in: 11h00
Time out: 15h30
Total Run Time: 270 minutes
Max depth: 69 ft
Av depth: 45 ft
Divers Team 1: Danny Riordan, Mark Messersmith, Luca Magheli & David Rhea

Dive # 2

Time in: 12h40
Time out: 14h50
Total Run Time: 140 minutes
Max depth: 50 ft
Av depth: 35 ft
Divers Team 2: Jarrod Jablonski, Beto Nava, Sue Bird & Anthony Rue

Dive # 3

Time in: 10h00
Time out: 13h00
Total Run Time: 180 minutes
Max depth: 42 ft
Av depth: 30 ft
Divers Team 3: GM Rocca & Chris Le Maillot

Dive # 4

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Divers Team 4: Fred Devos, Per Thomsen & Sigurd Bowitz

December 8, 2006

Surface Manager: Sigurd Bowitz

Dive Site Name: Yax Chen & SKBR

Coordinate: WGS84 UTM 451245 2226084

Dive objectives:

Team 1 video documentation of “Arizona” & removal of safeties
Team 2 pick up safeties at 9k
Team 3 pick up safeties at 6k & 3k
Exploration and survey in the SKBR

Summary of results:

Team 1 video documentation for 100 minutes of “Arizona”. Also film “KGD” line coming back on scooters with DL D’s. Documentation of possible pair of tusks. Also, there’s what seems to be a possible vertebra and the pointy extremity of a horn. Jarrod filmed it all.
Team 2 picked up safeties ok
Team 3 picker up safeties ok
Team 4 SKBR

Equipment:

33amp scooters, stage bottles and bg with EANx 32, video camera, DL D’s and HMI.

Dive log:

Dive # 1

Time in: 11h00
Time out: 15h20
Total Run Time: 260 minutes
Max depth: 81 ft
Av depth: 55 ft
Divers Team 1: David Rhea, Mark Messersmith, Jarrod Jablonski & Chris Le Maillot

Dive # 2

Time in: 11h20
Time out: 14h30
Total Run Time: 190 minutes
Max depth: 62 ft
Av depth: 45 ft
Divers Team 2: Danny Riordan & Sue Bird

Dive # 3

Time in: 15h10
Time out: 17h00
Total Run Time: 110 minutes
Max depth: 55 ft
Av depth: 38ft
Divers Team 3: Franco Attolini, Alex Alvarez & Beto Nava

Dive # 4

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Divers Team 4: Fred Devos & Per Thomsen