I have always been a great lover of natural hot springs, I seek them out and relish in their healing waters.  Now, I am also a great lover of cenotes.  Prior to this trip, I had never experienced these amazing formations created by underground rivers.  The Yucatan peninsula, ancestral home of the Mayan people, is entirely limestone with no running surface water.  Due to the extreme porosity of this rock, all of the fresh water is underground.  Scientists believe that there are around six-thousand cenotes in this area and less than half have been documented.  There are several types and they range from lakes and open sinkholes, to caves connected by underwater channels and passageways.  In many areas, one can scuba dive and explore these magical, interconnected, and very dark places.

Believed by the Mayan people to be entrances to the underworld, cenotes served as both a source of water and a site for sacred rituals.  They were the foundation for such great civilizations as Chichen Itza, Coba and Ek Balam.  Many Mayan people still believe that spirits dwell in cenotes and thus they never learn to swim.  Within many of the caves, stalactites and stalagmites are common formations, as are the fossils of shells and marine life dating back as far as 50 million years. Complex and interesting ecosystems, the crystal clear water is home to a variety of fish including a species of blind catfish.  In many, tree roots extend hundreds of feet from above to reach the deep, water sources below.  It is impossible not to be impressed by these natural wonders, and the opportunity to swim in them and take photographs is truly unworldly.

The cenotes pictured here are just outside the small town of Valladolid, deep in the jungle at the center of the peninsula.  The local Mayan name for this group of cenotes is Dzitnup, and they are respectively referred to as X’kekén and Samulá. Only a two-hour drive from Cancun, these cenotes are often on the itinerary for huge tour groups.  Knowing this, and to the surprise of the locals, I arrived just before opening at eight am, and was rewarded with two full hours completely by myself. The first cave was lit with colored LED lights that illuminate the stalactites and provide an added layer of surrealism to the images.  Although, I started shooting while dressed and rarely work without clothes, I felt comfortable being nude and I really like the results.  In the second cave I had to swim to the island with my dress in a bucket to keep it dry.  Like an optical illusion, the water is perfectly clear, and it is almost impossible to tell the depth until you jump in.  Thus, that which appears shallow in the foreground of this image is actually several meters deep.  Though I visited a few other cenotes on this trip, I was never able to make more images but I am certain I will return in the future.

Be sure to click on the image to see a larger view as these cenotes are really amazing and in the last one I am a tiny figure on the island.  As always, feel free to repost and sign up for e-mail blasts below if you don’t want to miss anything.