Lost in the Yucatan: Photo-hunting Cenotes for Xiimbalil Ja
Xiimbalil Ja Festival - Kaxan Ts’ono’oto’ob is a private artistic initiative by MalixArt, with the support of the Yucatan State Government - Secretaría de Fomento Turístico. The festival's name is Mayan, meaning “Strolling Through Water, Discovering the Cenotes”.
The festival means to share, through underwater photography, the beauty of the underground wonders of the Yucatan, both to local communities and nationwide. It is an effort to raise awareness of these natural freshwater resources - and a cry from the heart to protect them.
Photographing for Xiimbalil Ja
In the world of instant and social networks, it is unfortunately easy to take everything for granted, including the technical and logistical difficulties of conducting quality photoshoots in the middle of the jungle and remote villages.
Underwater photography is tricky in general, but even more so in cenotes, caves, and wrecks. These environments require a special kind of effort and the most demanding safety standards.
The light is, except very rarely, artificial and must be set up by a professional while coordinating non-verbally with the photographer. Then the model must place themselves in the indicated area, have an impeccable buoyancy, make sure not to exhale under the decorations (stalactites), nor have any physical contact whatsoever with the cave or surroundings.
In our case, we are fortunate to have Mauro - a one-person light crew with 120k lumens in various big blue dive lights, a rebreather, and all the experience required to model underwater.
Day One: Valladolid
And so, our adventures begin with a departure from the east coast of the peninsula towards the center. The first stop is a cenote recommended not far from Valladolid - one of the first cities of Mexico, with five centuries of history.
Here we find a stunning cenote with a large cave entrance and decorations both outside the dome and at the entrance to the submerged cave.
We dive to 36m (110ft), where we find tunnels and labyrinthic passages, along with various colors and smooth stones. The photos of the day will have been a success after four hours of shooting.
Day Two: Merida
Early in the morning, we leave the city of Merida and head south. It’s a one-hour drive, half of which is in the middle of the jungle on a path built in Sascab. The ancient Mayans once used these Karst powder paths. Nowadays, they’re prevalent in ranchos and off-road due to their low cost and ability to filter rainwater.
We get a tip from a local lumberjack on the way out. He recommended that we go to a village half an hour away to “a lady's house.” The only guidance he gave was that we were looking for “the house with an almond tree and an orange tree in front; you can't go wrong.”
We were to ask for access to her family's property or a member of said family/neighbor's/etc. While the information remains unclear to this day, permission was given.
Everything was worth the detour and experience. We found the cenote easily, using only approximate directions. Most of the directions indicated were accurate, except for the depths. We discovered during the immersion that the 24 m of the cave entrance is actually 30 m+ - slightly problematic for our calculations of consumption and decompression.
The cave was absolutely divine, and so were the resulting pictures. Finally, after a few minutes of setting up our lamps, we come out clear—another stroke of luck after the hours of searching and driving around in 38 Celsius heat.
Day Three: You Win Some, You Lose Some
All in all, it was a second lucky day. We had a few photos in the pocket and a great walk in nature. Not to mention tacos and a good night’s sleep in Merida before returning to our mission - which will, unfortunately, be much less fruitful.
We were to visit three explored cenotes. However, none of them were recommended to us with any precision. Plus, with steady rains, access to the cenotes was impossible. So we finished the third day of our expedition empty-handed and with nothing but memories and a great breakfast.
The adventure continues…
Why Xiimbalil Ja Matters
This photoshoot was for the Festival Xiimbalil-Ja by MalixArt and the presentation of the photos of Joram Mennes in Mexico City in January 2022, on Paseo de la Reforma at the feet of the Angel of Independence.
The idea is to share, visually, underwater landscapes that are not easily accessible to the majority of the population. This raises consciousness about the conservation of precious freshwater resources and beauty, which are more often than not taken for granted.
Meet the Crew
Joram Mennes is a professional cave and cenote photographer. His photos have been published by NatGeo and exhibited in Moscow, Berlin, Mexico City, Izamal, Merida, and Valladolid.
He currently resides on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, where he teaches cenote photography workshops and guides divers.
You can find him on Instagram @jorammennesphotography
Mauro Bordignon - Virgin Caves Explorer, GUE Fundamentals, Full Cave & Cave Dpv Instructor. He also lives on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Besides his explorations and courses, he dedicates himself to being our favorite model and light crew, all in one.
You can find him on Instagram @maurocaveworld
What You Can Do to Protect Cenotes
An Ocean Pulse Footnote
Wow, what an incredible process to conduct photoshoots in underwater caves! Through their work in underwater photography, Joram Mennes and Mauro Bordignon can show the world these gorgeous yet fragile ecosystems.
It’s true what they say; people cannot care about what they cannot see. By unmasking cenotes, Mennes and Bordignon bring them into our view and hopefully into our consciousness. Despite being considered an entry to the underworld in Mayan culture, these cenotes are not bottomless pits to throw waste.
So what can you do to protect these magnificent underwater cave systems? If you’re ever lucky enough to visit a region with cenotes, there are a few things you should keep in mind to reduce your negative impact.
Reduce Waste
Not only should you avoid littering at all costs, especially near cenotes, but consider what you actually need. The less we consume, the less we pollute.
Avoid Chemical Pollutants
Be sure to wash off any sunscreen or mosquito repellents before entering cenotes. Not only are cenotes incredibly delicate ecosystems, but they’re also the primary source of fresh water in the Yucatan, and these chemicals can contaminate the water supply.
Participate in Ethical Tourism
In recent years, there has been severe controversy about so-called eco-resorts in areas of the Yucatan, such as Tulum, contaminating cenotes with sewage. So be sure to research and choose truly eco-friendly hotels and tours before booking.
And if you’re interested in recreational diving in cenotes, be sure to check out this Ocean Pulse article from October 2021 before planning your trip!
