Cave diver exploring Chan Aktun Ha
Martin Broen
The Yucatán peninsula in south-east Mexico is riddled with holes. When a giant asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago near what is now the town of Chicxulub, the impact created a massive depression and caused fracturing of the porous limestone bedrock. Over millions of years, rainwater has dissolved the stone, creating underground rivers, caves and cenotes (sinkholes).
Photographer Martin Broen has explored 280 of the Yucatán’s cenotes, atmospheric shots of which are collected in his book Light in the Underworld, out now in the US and on 17 September in the UK. This image, taken in 2020, shows the cave area of a cenote called Chan Aktun Ha (a Mayan name meaning “little water cave”) in the state of Quintana Roo. Here, a cave diver is exploring among pristine stalactites and stalagmites.
“During rain showers in the Mexican jungle, water washes tannin from the vegetation into the cenotes, creating a tannic acid solution,” says Broen. “These natural filters provide a surreal green, yellow or red atmosphere to the caverns.”
The shallow caves of the Yucatán Peninsula have been flooded for the past 8000 years. “The more I dive, the more I discover the beauty and secrets of these caves, uncovering unique fossils of extinct megafauna, indications of the first Palaeo-Americans, and Mayan artefacts,” says Broen.
But, he adds, cenotes aren’t just a window into the past but “the veins that carry all fresh water in the region”. With pollution, deforestation and development all a threat, Broen hopes his photos can help people care about what lies beneath their feet.
Light in the Underworld: Diving the Mexican Cenotes by Martin Broen is published by Rizzoli priced at £46.00
New Scientist video
Divers discover manatees in Yucatán cave habitat youtube.com/newscientist
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