Dive Review of Dive Cenotes Mexico/Air B & B Akumal in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Yacutan, Mexico

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Dive Cenotes Mexico/Air B & B Akumal : "Diving the cenotes of Yacutan, Mexico", Aug, 2019, by Andrew Falconer , Bunbury, AU ( Top Contributor 51 reports with 29 Helpful votes). Report 11069.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations	N/A	Food	N/A
Service and Attitude	N/A	Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Diving the Cenotes of the Yacutan Peninsula, Mexico by Andrew Falconer As part of a wider trip in Mexico, I spent two days diving some of the cenotes of the Yacutan peninsula of Mexico. The Yacutan is a flat raised limestone plateau, mostly covered in jungle, and known among other things for its Mayan ruins, Caribbean coastline, and cenotes. The latter are sink holes in the limestone surface, which often connect to a system of caves and underground rivers. The water in most of the cenotes is fresh, crystal clear and at a constant temperature of 24 degrees centigrade. Based on reading some positive reviews I chose www.divecenotesmexico.com located in the peublo of Akumal between Playa del Carmen and Tulum on the Caribbean coast. We stayed in an Air B & B in Akumal, and I was picked up by the dive shop owner Susanne at 9am for the short drive in her pick up to Cenote Dos Oyes (two eyes). There was a $US25 entrance fee at the gate leading down a dusty limestone road into the jungle to the cenote. Dos Oyes is one of the most popular cenotes and both scuba divers and snorkellers are allowed. There were quite a few of both, despite it being a weekday during the low season. However once in and following the line through the cavern system, with the snorkellers left behind and the divers spread out we were mostly on our own, being just me with Susanne leading. Prior to entry I was given a thorough briefing regarding the special rules of cenote diving (torch use and signals / keeping to the line / the one third air rule / buoyancy control). Kitted up (I added a full 3mm wetsuit from Susanne to my usual Indonesian dive apparel of a sharkskin top and rashie body suit) and afterwalking the short distance in the hot, humid Yacutan summer to the entry platform it was a relief to get in the cool clear water. We submerged and after a buoyancy check followed the line into the dark cavern system of one of the Dos Oyes. Although it was pretty dark throughout there was always a little light showing somewhere so that technically it was not a cave. It was a very calm and beautiful experience moving slowly through the crystal clear waters past stalactites of many shapes and sizes. The whole dive was very shallow, with a maximum depth of 5m, so air consumption was not an issue during the 40 minute dive. By the time the dive finished I was glad of the extra wetsuit. We had a snack back at the car, and did a second dive on Dos Oyes, following a different route which was darker and narrower in some places, and included surfacing in an air filled chamber (the bat cave) which had bats flying around. The next day I was given a choice of cenotes, and ended up choosing The Pit and Nicte Ha, both part of the Dos Oyes underground system, but completely different. The Pit is also a well known cenote and is also one of the deepest (180m). Snorkellers are not allowed and the cenote is shaped like an inverted cylinder and contains a halocline (a layer of fresh and brackish water mixed which produces a blurred effect), and at about 30 metres a hydrogen sulphide layer (white mist from decayed organic matter. At this level are the remains of branches from a tree which combined with the H2S gives a ghostlike vista. There are also some very nice stalactites under an overhang, but perhaps best of all are the shafts of sunlight that penetrate down as beams at the right time on a sunny day. We were lucky as it was cloudy at the start but opened up from time to time to enable us to catch the sun beams. The second dive at Nicte Ha after a surface interval had a very pretty entry with lilies on the surface of the crystal clear waters. The cavern system encircled the cenote, and was shallow with quite a low roof, and some tight passages. Unfortunately my camera battery ran out so no photos. In conclusion, my two days of cenote diving was a unique and unforgettable experience, which although not cheap (total cost $US260 + entrance fees) and something not to be missed if you are in the Yacutan. I particularly liked the personalised diving and genuine enthusiasm of Suzanne. She was also very helpful with carrying tanks. August 2019
Websites	Dive Cenotes Mexico Air B & B Akumal
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vanuatu, South Africa, Iceland, Scotland, Norway, Cuba, Maldives, Chuuk, Galapagos, Phillipines, Sri Lanka, France, Colombia
Closest Airport	Cancun	Getting There	Fly to Cancun, then bus to Akumal
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, cloudy, dry	Seas	no currents
Water Temp	24-24°C / 75-75°F	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	50-50 M / 164-164 Ft
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	?
Enforced diving restrictions	Special rules for cenotes
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	no
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish	N/A
Small Critters	N/A	Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter	N/A	Boat Facilities	N/A
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

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Dive Review of Dive Cenotes Mexico/Air B & B Akumal in Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Yacutan, Mexico

Dive Cenotes Mexico/Air B & B Akumal : "Diving the cenotes of Yacutan, Mexico", Aug, 2019,

Photos Submitted with this Report

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Dive Cenotes Mexico/Air B & B Akumal in
Cozumel and the Mexican Yucatan/Yacutan, Mexico