The necessity of protecting the enchanting cenotes and the Mexican sacred underwater world
Long ago, before humans, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, a cataclysm happened. A giant asteroid hit the ground and wiped out an entire species, leaving only their footprints for us to find. This theory is about destruction as well as creation.
As dinosaurs said goodbye to their last sunset, a source of life found its footing in the great Yucatan peninsula in the form of majestic underground pools. They are revealed through collapsed limestone and are called cenotes. The word cenotes is derived from the Mayan language and refers to a water source or life source as water is life. These natural sinkholes were and still are a source of life for the indigenous Mayans and the people of Mexico. Cenotes are a system of underground pools that are defined neither as a sea, a lake, or a river. A complete ecosystem on its own. There are over seven thousand cenotes in the Yucatan peninsula and counting, that are connected by a cave system that is further connected with the ocean.
How did they form, and what are their flora and fauna like?
Cenotes emerged over millions of years, shaped by time and water. As rain filtered through the porous limestone, underground rivers formed, carving intricate passageways beneath the earth. When the ceilings collapsed, they revealed crystalline pools—deep, clear, and teeming with life. Their waters, purified by nature’s own design, cradle species found nowhere else. Tiny blind fish, delicate shrimp, and many more species thrive in these underground sinkholes.
It serves not only as a home but as a sanctuary as well. Many marine species find their way through the tunnels and various caves to rest in the cenotes and shield themselves from larger predators. It is even considered a place where endangered species nurse their young away from the dangers of open water.
Why do they need to be protected?
All over the world, cenotes are known as a majestic underworld that invites you onto a different planet. Like something out of James Cameron’s Avatar. Even though they are considered sacred and revered for their crystal water and otherworldly diving experience, cenotes are in danger of being polluted and destroyed.
Wastewater from the surface infiltrates the underground streams, slowly poisoning the once-crystal depths. As cenotes are connected to the ocean, contamination spreads beyond their walls, rippling outward into the larger marine ecosystem.
Indigenous Mayans are petitioning the government to proclaim cenotes as personal entities to stop the pollution and put a ban on destroying their significance.
The spark in the dark
I’m going to introduce to you a freediving world record holder, Vitomir Maričić. Before I write anything else about him, here is his experience diving into the cenotes. A reminder and a sign of what we are protecting:
“Imagine diving through space or alien planets, or depths of the ocean, and it all comes to life depending on which cenote you are in. In some of them, you have to dive through a thick white cloud unsure where you will end up. Only to emerge in crystal clear water with a whole horizon of visibility in front of you. Light rays stream down to welcome you. If you continue further down you can stumble upon a dark cloud with no visibility at all. You will know only yourself and your heartbeat.”
Vitomir is a Croatian freediver, athlete, and a voice for the ocean. I reached out to him for this conversation because it is important to hear this story of our oceans from a person who spends a lot of his time in this silent, aquatic ecosystem. This truth is double-edged, like most truths. The first edge is a crystalline pool that reels you into another world, the one we are trying to protect. The second edge is the truth of what will happen if we don’t.
It is the desolation of beauty and life into destruction and pollution. This is also the intersection where cenotes and oceans can be seen as one. Both are sacred, both are a sanctuary, and both are a source of life. If we don’t do something about it right now and if we don’t bring this problem into our consciousness, we will be the ones to see all life disappear in front of our eyes. Like Vitomir said: “It will all come back to us, and we will be the ones to experience the consequences of everything we did and did not do today.” On that note, let’s see how the journey of one person, someone like you and me, affects the world today.
How it all started
Vitomir Maričić grew up on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. As young as three years old, he learned how to swim and later how to dive. In his own words, he explained it: “I learned to swim at around age three, and my first encounter with water was swimming on my back. It was easier for me. Slowly I graduated into diving and it helped me realize I move much better underwater than above.” This being his first intro to freediving he did not know much about it except his own way with it. Later on he found out about clubs and national competitions and felt confident enough to know he would easily win one of the first three places. This was, however, not his interest at the time. Slowly but surely, about nine years ago he got into competitive freediving. It all started with a friend asking for his help with a freediving project. Vitomir gladly accepted and actually asked to try to break a man’s world record. This is how he recalls the story that led him to his first big award: “A friend approached me with a freediving project, and at the time I was managing mountain expeditions so I agreed to help him out. I told him I would like to try to attempt a man’s record at the same time. They didn’t really like that, they told me I have to train and it is not an easy task to do and so on. But then I went ahead and did it. On my first attempt, I achieved a world record. They encouraged me to continue with competitive diving but I didn’t have the time for it then.”
Breaking world records and the road into ocean conservation
After suffering an injury to his biceps, Vitomir got into competitive freediving again, and through education, science, and continuous practice, he broke many world records and is considered one of the best freedivers in the world right now. “Because of an injury, I got into freediving again and started to be in competitions. That is how I started making world record distances in standard freediving and in the pool. It all started around 8,9 years ago. From then on I was pushing limits in any way I could through education, research, and new methods. This resulted in achieving many world records.”
His work was not only focused on freediving but on ocean conservation as well. As a diver who has seen most of the world’s oceans rivers and lakes, he knows the importance of their existence. With that in mind it is important to mention his work with Sea Shepherd and his own thoughts on ocean conservation: “I am involved with Sea Shepherd campaigns and I try to help in any way that I can. I am very familiar with current ocean challenges and I am worried to be honest. I wish for people to understand how imminent and prominent the danger is that we are now facing. Unfortunately, ocean conservation has become a popular issue. Many brands go in the direction of promoting themselves as ocean advocates and nature conservators, but in reality most of it is just marketing and this is really sad. It drives the majority of people away from key issues. Seeing plastic pollution as a big issue is really popular but in my opinion, it is not the greatest threat oceans face. In my opinion and according to some research, overfishing is the number one challenge. The extent of it is so rapid that within 10, 20 years we will notice significant changes in biomass and atmosphere as well as in climate change. It will all come back to us and we will be the ones to experience the consequences of everything we did and did not do today. I feel obligated to try and share this as much as possible with the community and the world. My hope is that through this program, Divers for Sea Shepherd we will raise awareness within the diving community and I hope this new wave will make more of an impact on shedding a light on the urgency of the oceans plight.”
When talking about the key issues in the great tapestry of things, Vitomir highlights misinformation and the abuse of knowledge to gain an advantage in the economic market. “I think information is the key to creating an informed decision. There is a sea of information right now and most of them are misleading and wrong.”
He also added what he thinks is crucial in aiding our planet’s survival: “I think we need to prioritize. Our energy should be focused on the main problem. That is hard to do when we are seduced to focus on different problems with most of the information being manipulated and misused. This is something people need to create awareness on. Having good knowledge is key. After awareness rises, I really believe many people will make a change and focus on protecting marine life. This is key to the planets survival and restoration.”
If you think you cannot make a change as an individual, think again. Every voice matters and there is a difference in this world only you can make!
Article written by: Anamarija Kolimbatovic