'Swimming into the unknown:' Mexico's unmapped underwater caves - in pictures
'Swimming into the unknown:' Mexico's unmapped underwater caves - in pictures
Photographer Klaus Thymann has been exploring the underwater cave system of the Yucatán peninsula, diving 1km underwater to where salt and freshwater meet. By mapping areas that have been untouched by modern civilisation, he hopes to raise awareness of the natural and human heritage of this unique ecosystem that will hopefully result in greater protection. He talks to Eric Hilaire about making his journey into a film, Flows, featuring music by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke
Thu 17 May 2018 01.00 EDT
I am about to climb down a 10-metre rope ladder into a manhole-sized gap in the floor of the Mexican jungle on the Yucatán peninsula, to dive an underwater cave system, exploring paths where no one has ever been in modern history.
You may be familiar with cenotes, or sink holes, the beautiful wells filled with tempting blue water, but this hole does not look like that. Why would anyone want to head down there is a good question but we are exploring places where no one has been since the Mayans. This place doesn’t exist on any maps. My objective is to explore places with the view to bringing about environmental awareness, hopefully resulting in protection.
I am with fellow cave diver and explorer Alex Reato, in his 4x4 pick-up loaded with equipment, and accompanied by our four porters. As we head into the jungle the vegetation around the road gets denser and denser.
We get out, put on mosquito repellant and start walking into the jungle, carrying camera kit, dive tanks and GPS sets. The GPS point is our only real reference in the jungle as the vegetation is all too similar to navigate by.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/17/swimming-into-the-unknown-mexicos-unmapped-underwater-caves-in-pictures
Environment and energy:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1127117239
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