few years ago, I had recently received my basic cave diver's certification (prior to receiving my Full Cave Card) and was planning to head to the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula to appreciate the underground diving of such Cenotes as Akumal, Chichen Itza, Maya Riviera, Quintana Roo, and other jungle sites. Tulum is the ancient city of Mexico that is atop the longest under water cave systems known on earth. These systems are known for the clarity of the water and stillness of the current.
My daughter had just received her "junior" open water certificate and had just turned ten years old. She had three open water dives to her log book and wanted to join me on my "jungle" exploration. I figured why not? She could sun bath as I explored so she joined my two older sons and I for the expedition. After leaving Cancun and driving south, we turned off the main highway onto dirt roads and into thick jungle. We then carried our dive gear into narrow paths until arriving at a hole in the ground. It was smaller that a gold fish pond!
As the guide, my two sons, and I donned our gear my daughter decided she wanted to go. I firmly refused as she had no cavern or cave experience but as daughter's will do she convinced the guide and me that she would be fine. I instructed her to never let go of me or the guideline regardless of how dark the environment became. We entered the water and began our descent. Soon it was pitch dark and only our lights could be seen as we soon entered a halocline (the discernable mixing layer where fresh water and denser salt water mixes). There was a definite almost hallucinogenic effect as we passed through it. Then there was a thermocline that we passed through from warmer to colder water. We followed each others lights along the guide line until we began to ascend and soon we found ourselves in the most beautiful open air cavern of stalagtites and stalagmites. There was an opening that we passed and we were then in the most beautiful green jungle and waterfall setting that I had ever even imagined. My daughter looked over to see what she thought was a moving log. The guide told us it was nothing but a crocodile! We quickly descended back into the cave and followed another line back and through beautiful passageways until we saw multiple passages and rooms but followed our basic line back until we were on the jungle floor again. As we planned our next dive, the guide asked us if we saw the long anaconda in a side passage! We did not but did get to see one on our second dive! My daughter decided to sit that one out!!! Nevertheless she had a badass experience for one of her first five dives AND at ten years old!!!
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