Caves of Tinum
By Fred Devos
In late September, I was invited to join Jose Mis in exploring the cenotes and dry caves near his hometown of Tinum, located in the center of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Cenote Kuun Xan
The first site visited was a large cenote on the ranch of Jose´s father-in-law, Don Josè Maria Dzul. An initial dive revealed a deep cone shaped sinkhole typical of this area. Descending to 30 ft (9 m) of depth, the visibility quickly cleared. At 120 ft (36 m), a debris mound poked up through a thin wisp of hydrogen sulfide revealing tree branches and the skeleton of a cow. Even though visibility was near perfect, the slopes plunged steeply to mysterious depths. Another trip with a different gas mix would be needed to safely explore deeper.
Grutas Kuun CheThe memory of Jose's father-in-law was amazing. Five years prior, he had been shown the entrance to a dry cave and was now leading us through 3 miles (5 km) of dense jungle to the exact location of the small opening in the jungle floor.
Using a fallen tree, we shimmied down into the small hollow. Hundreds of bats streamed from two sloped tunnels leading from the room. The eastern passage met with water and our lights revealed hundreds of albino shrimp scurrying along the muddy bottom. The roar of a thousand bat wings echoed through the sculpted tunnels. We were able to walk another 100 feet (30 meters) before the waist deep mud bogged us down.
The western tunnel led us past an extraordinary site. A small side room had been deliberately sealed shut with rocks and mud. The wall had recently been broken into and holes dug in the floor hinted to looting.
The main passage ended in a clear water pool. Being a diver
at heart, I had the foresight to bring a mask and in jeans, boots and a
helmet, I dove below the surface. In the distance, under a small overhang,
my light revealed four human skeletons! Excitedly surfacing I realized I
was not the only one out of breath. Through gasps of air, Jose warned that
there was not a single bat living in this section of the cave and that perhaps
these human remains were of fellow curious explorers having breathed the
stale air! We hastily surveyed back to the entrance.
On the return to the village, Jose's father-in-law decided it would be quicker
to cut out to the highway and walk on the paved road. At 70 years old he
nimbly navigated the rough jungle but scraped a knee when he tripped over
the speed bump leading into town.
Sistema Ca'acal Chen
Later that afternoon, we concentrated on a known dry cave connected to a water-filled sinkhole.
From a small cavity in the jungle floor, a passage led southwest. Snow-white stalactites hung from a ceiling of smooth, sculpted limestone. At 2 sections, we noted partially dismantled, man-made walls, similar to those seen earlier that day.
After 1,300 ft (400 m) the phreatic tubes narrowed and seemed soon to end. Then incredibly, the walls and ceiling disappeared as the passage exited the sidewall of a giant sinkhole. From 60 ft (18 m) above us shafts of light pierced through 3 small holes in the thin ceiling. Clear blue water replaced the floor. Dive gear was lowered and confirmed a depth of 70 ft (21 m) with a bottom circumference of some 330 ft (100 m). It was easy to feel small, as this room matched the size of a ten-story apartment building!
