Longest Underground River Found in Riviera Maya

MARCH 2, 2007, PLAYA DEL CARMEN -- Cave divers near Playa del Carmen have just discovered what may be the world's longest underground river, connecting two cave systems with a waterway at least 95 miles long.

A group of foreign divers exploring the area have yet to name the stretch, but believe it could be connected to two other major systems, adding more than 125 miles to its length.

"It's a bit of the Star Trek syndrome: the thrill of exploration, to go where no one has gone before," said diver Steve Bogaerts, who helped find the underground river.

Prior to the discovery, the Palawan underground river in the Philippines and Vietnam's Son Trach River vied for the record as the world's longest.

Entering a cave like this is extremely dangerous and can only be done by expert cave divers, but snorkelers and scuba divers can witness similar underground rivers and cave systems for themselves at other lagoons and "cenotes" in the region. One of the most popular -- and most dramatic -- is located at Hidden Worlds Cenote Park, which was the location for a recent IMAX film about cave diving.

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Cozumel Diving Report

The San Antonio Express News published the following report, which describes the conditions of the Cozumel reef system one year after Hurricane Wilma.

"With frequent high winds and rough seas, the reefs are used to strong currents. Perhaps that's why there wasn't as much reef damage as one might expect from the hurricane, which wrecked so many man-made structures. The reefs have been subject to repeated blows from storms for thousands of years.

While Wilma cropped some sea fans and dislodged corals (especially in shallow waters), sea life has returned to normal, according to dive instructor and Akumal Dive Shop co-owner Pablo Diaz.

Our first dive was at the Palancar reef, in the waters near southwestern Cozumel. The ocean floor's wave action was strong, not surprising since dives in Cozumel are drift dives. The surf carries the divers with the current, while the boat follows along, meeting the divers when they pop up out of the water.

On the sea floor, though, we didn't notice any of the destruction of areas above. At the Palancar Caves, we dove down 80 feet, seeing turtles, schools of fish and a bat ray. We swam through small tunnels and gazed at colorful corals and sponges that survived the storm."

Read the complete story.

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