Scuba diving in the undiscovered caves of Mexico and Belize

Cave diving is often associated with danger and expert qualifications but as the activity becomes more popular during scuba diving holidays, it becomes more accessible to recreational scuba divers.

A local divemaster, Aaron, who has been exploring the cenotes of Mexico’s easternmost region for over fifteen years explained: “You don’t actually need any specialist qualifications, other than the PADI open water certificate. The most important thing is a sense of adventure.”

Mexico and Belize are proving to be popular holiday destinations for scuba diving in the Caribbean with spectacular marine sights to be admired, including: cenotes, cavernous wells, and a network of underground tunnels.

The Yucatan Peninsula is a fantastic spot for scuba diving in Mexico and many of the diving sites were once used by indigenous residents as burial chambers or places of sacrifice for humans and animals. Ancient Mayans regarded the cenotes as a gateway to the afterlife.

Aaron explained the sights which lay within the bottom of a cave, filled with crystal-clear fresh water.

“He is maybe two thousand years old,” he said, pointing at the human skull, sitting on a rock shelf next to a pile of bones. “They are from animals- probably cows”

Nearby is a pair of perfectly preserved large ceramic jars each containing even more bones, on the cave wall hangs a painting of a horse running and on the cave wall there is a painting of what looks like a horse running.

Those taking scuba diving holidays in Cancun can experience the ancient history of the area which disappeared from the land’s surface hundreds of years ago and created a fantastic environment for scuba diving adventures.

The forgotten cenotes were only discovered in the 1970s after the first fearless divers decided to explore the underwater treasures. There are still over 3,000 cenotes left undiscovered and as one of only a couple of qualified diving guides which operate in the region, Aaron is hoping to encourage more visitors to experience the incredible underwater delights during scuba diving holidays.

While scuba diving in the Caribbean is often linked with turquoise waters, tropical fish and colourful coral reef, cave diving offers divers the chance to explore the region’s ancient history and beautiful natural rock formations.